ETERAllREMENS 


x-» 

EW  Vox/?  ro  (£AM  FRANCISCO 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


ROBERT  ERNEST  COWAN 


VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION 

OF   THE    CITY    OF    NEW    YORK 


OF    THE 


TRANSCONTINENTAL    EXCURSION 

FROM 

NEW  YORK  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO, 
SEPTEMBER,    1887. 


ALSO  CONDENSED  HISTORY  OF  IMPORTANT  EVENTS  IN  THE  NEW  YORK 

VOLUNTEER  FIRE  DEPARTMENT,  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF 

OLD  TIME  FIRE  SCENES,   ETC. 


NEW  YORK  : 
THOMAS  HARRINGTON,  PUBLISHER, 


Copyrighted  by  THOMAS  BARRINGTON,  1887. 


PRESS  OF 

DAVID    H.    GILDERSLEEVE, 
45  to  51  Rose  St.,  N.  Y. 


/  n 


N  5-Q-71 


GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON, 
JOHN  MOLLER,      - 
ABRAM  C.    HULL,       - 
BERNARD  M.   SWEENY, 
A.  T.   ANDERSON,        - 
THOS.   BARRINGTON, 
JAS.   F.  WENMAN,        - 
HENRY  JONES,      - 


President. 

-     ist   Vice-President. 

2d  Vice-President. 

Recording  Secretary. 

Financial  Secretary. 

Corresponding  Secretary, 

Treasurer. 

Sergt-at-Arms. 


^Fu 

j^     FRED.  A.  RIDABOCK,  EUGENE  WARD,  PETER  P.  PULLIS, 

RICHARD  H.  NUGENT,  ABRAHAM  SLAIGHT,  GEO.  T.   PATTERSON, 

WM.  McMAHON,  NELSON  D.  THAYER,  ROBT.  MCWHINNEY, 

WM.  B.    DUNLEY,  T.   DONOVAN,  THOS.  BARRETT, 

W.  H.  BOYD,  THOS.  CLEARY,  THOS.  LBAVY. 


©r> 

GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  Chairman.  THOMAS  BARRINGTON,   Secretary. 

JAMES  F.   WENMAN,  GEO.  T.  PATTERSON, 

NELSON  D.  THAYER,  WILLIAM  McMAHON, 

EUGENE  WARD,  JOHN  DAWSOX, 

THOMAS  LEAVY. 


^88190 


From  Sheldon'.  "  Story  of  Volunteer  Fire  Depmrtmen 


HE  Excursion  that  this  little  volume  is  designed  to  commemorate  is  the 
realization  of  the  constant  dream  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen.  Trips  by 
individual  Companies  to  neighboring  cities  were  of  frequent  occurrence 
during  the  existence  of  the  old  Department,  but  this  limited  sphere  was 
not  of  sufficient  scope  to  gratify  the  ambition  and  curiosity  of  the 
hardy  veterans  of  many  a  well-fought  conflagration. 
They  looked  anxiously  for  the  time  when,  as  representatives  of  the  New 
York  Fire  Department,  they  should  be  able  to  traverse  the  continent  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco  by  easy  stages,  to  view  the  cities,  mountains,  valleys  and  plains 
of  the  United  States,  and  especially  to  examine  the  facilities  provided  in  different 
sections  of  the  land  for  the  irrepressible  contest  with  that  destructive  element — 
fire,  and  also  to  exchange  greetings  with  their  brother  firemen  throughout  the  great 
West. 

The  rivalry  existing  between  the  Companies  prevented  the  selection  from  the 
entire  Department  of  a  body  to  represent  the  New  York  organization,  and  no  single 
Engine,  Hose,  or  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  felt  itself  equal  to  so  gigantic  an 
undertaking  as  the  transcontinental  tour  now  to  be  taken  by  the  Veteran  Firemen's 
Association. 


6  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

Nearly  twenty-three  years  have  elapsed  since  the  disbandment  of  the  old  un- 
paid force,  after  nearly  two  centuries  of  gratuitous  service  in  the  public  interest,  but 
the  esprit  de  corps  did  not  disappear  with  the  dissolution  of  the  Association.  The 
old  fire  laddies  have  always  cherished  recollections  of  their  arduous  duties,  which, 
it  must  be  acknowledged,  were  occasionally  enlivened  by  set  to's  between  rival 
Companies,  in  their  futile  efforts  to  "pass"  each  other,  and  each  Company  had  its 
favorite  meeting  place,  where  the  old-time  fights  with  the  flames  and  with  each 
other  would  be  enthusiastically  talked  over.  As  is  well  known,  this  comradeship 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  "Veteran  Firemen's  Association/'  with  headquar- 
ters at  No.  53  East  Tenth  Street,  New  York — the  old  Lorillard  mansion.  This 
entire  edifice  is  devoted  to  the  club  purposes  of  the  institution.  It  is  handsomely 
furnished  throughout,  and  every  nook  and  corner  contains  a  relic  of  the  old  De- 
partment, while  the  walls  are  hung  with  professional  mementos  and  the  portraits 
of  veteran  firemen — some  still  living,  but  the  greater  number  of  whom  has  long 
since  passed  to  the  tomb.  Amid  these  reminiscent  surroundings  the  members 
gather  in  social  intercourse,  and  forming  in  line  before  the  door  of  these  head- 
quarters, the  excursionists — one  hundred  in  number — will  start  on  their  famous  trip, 
on  Monday,  September  5th,  1887. 

The   previous   excursions   of  the   Volunteers,    above    alluded    to,    are   as   follows: 
Engine   Company   No.    6   to         .         .         .  .        Montreal. 

"  "  "     "     " Saratoga. 

"     8     " Washington. 

"    ii      " Warren    Monument. 

"    33     " Albany. 

"   34     " Washington. 

"    38     " New  Haven. 

"   40     " Philadelphia. 

"    44      "..-... 

''    51      "         .         .         .         .         .        Elmira. 
Hose  "  "      5     " New  Haven. 

"    16     " Newburgh. 

"   19     " Buffalo. 

"    22     " Newark,  N.  J. 

"    24     " Newark. 

"    25     "         •         .         .         .         .        Warren    Monument. 
Hook   and    Ladder   Company   No.    i    to  .         .        New  Haven. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  7 

The  tourists  look  with  special  interest  to  their  intended  visit  to  the  grave  of 
DAVID  C.  BRODERICK,  in  Lone  Mountain  Cemetery,  San  Francisco,  a  New  York  fire- 
man, who  rose  from  the  humblest  position  in  life  to  that  of  Senator  of  the 
United  States  from  California.  Nearly  30  years  have  passed  since  he  fell  in  the 
duel  with  Judge  Terry,  but  his  memory  is  still  green  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
knew  him  in  his  early  manhood  in  New  York,  and  many  of  the  veterans  who 
will  look  upon  the  monument  that  covers  his  remains  will  recall  the  time  when 
they  strove,  side  by  side  with  him,  to  save  life  and  property  imperilled  by  the 
devouring  element. 

The   following  is   the   Itinerary: 

MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  5th. — March  down  to  the  Battery,  arriving  there  at  n  o'clock. 
Will  then  take  special  train  at  Weehawken  for  the  West  at  12  o'clock,  ar- 
riving in  Chicago  at  4  P.  M.,  September  6th,  remaining  during  the  entire  day 
of  the  yth,  giving  a  Parade,  and  in  the  evening  a  Grand  Concert  and  Re- 
ception, leaving  for  Omaha  at  midnight. 

THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  8th. — Arrive   in    Omaha   at   4    P.  M.,  and    remain    until   midnight 
of  the   9th,  giving   a    Parade,    and   on    the    evening   of    the    9th   a   Grand   Re- 
ception   and   Concert   in    the   Exhibition    Building. 
SUNDAY,   SEPTEMBER    nth. — Arrive    in    Salt   Lake   City   at   5    P.  M. 

MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  i2th. — Reception  in  Salt  Lake  City  by  the  Municipal  Government 
and  Fire  Department ;  viewing  the  interesting  portions  of  Modern  Zion  ;  visit 
to  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  a  Grand  Concert  in  the  great  Tabernacle  in 
the  evening,  leaving  for  California  at  midnight. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER    i4th. — Arrive  in    Sacramento.     Received   by  the  local  commit- 
tees,  Grand    Parade,   and   a    Reception    and   Concert  in   the  evening. 
THURSDAY,   SEPTEMBER    i5th. — Arrive  in  San  Francisco.      Received  by  the  Exempt   Fire 

Company  and  citizens  generally,  and   Torchlight   Parade   in    the    evening. 
FRIDAY,    SEPTEMBER    i6th. — Sight-seeing    in    San    Francisco    and    Grand    Concert    and 

Reception    in    Grand   Opera    House   in    the    evening. 
SATURDAY  AFTERNOON,  SEPTEMBER   iyth. — Grand  Concert  and    Reception    in  Grand  Opera 

House. 

SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER    i8th. — Leave   San    Francisco   at   6   p.  M.  for   Denver. 
WEDNESDAY,    SEPTEMBER    2ist. — Arrive  at    Denver  at  10  A.  M.     Parade,  sight-seeing,  and 

Grand  Concert   and    Reception    in   the   evening. 

THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  22d. — In  Denver,  sight-seeing  and  a  good  time.  Leave  for 
Kansas  City  at  9  P.  M. 


8  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

FRIDAY,     SEPTEMBER  230!. — Arrive   in    Kansas   City   at    5    P.    M. 

SATURDAY,   SEPTEMBER    24th. — In    Kansas   City.     Parade   and    sight-seeing.     Concert   in 

the  evening,  and  leave  for  St.  Louis  at  midnight. 
SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  25th. — Arrive  in  St.  Louis  at  10  A.  M. 
MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  26th. — In  St.  Louis.  Grand  Parade,  and  in  the  evening  Concert 

and  Reception.  Leave  for  Louisville  at  midnight. 
TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  2yth. — Arrive  at  Louisville  at  10  A.  M.  Grand  Parade,  and  in 

the   evening   Grand   Concert   and   Reception    in    Exhibition    Building. 
WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  28th. — Leave   Lftuisville   at   9    A.   M.     Arrive   in    Cincinnati  at  i 

p.   M.     Parade    to   hotel,    and   in    the   evening    Grand    Concert    and    Reception 

at   Exhibition    Building. 
THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  2pth. — Leave   Cincinnati   at   9   A.    M.     Arrive    in    Cleveland   at   5 

p.  M.     Parade   to    hotel,    and   in    the   evening    Grand    Concert    in    New    Music 

Hall.     Leave   for   Niagara  Falls   at    n    P.  M. 
SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  ist. — Arrive  at  Niagara  Falls  at  6  A.  M.      "View  the  Falls."     Leave 

at  8  A.  M.  for   New  York,    arriving   home   at   8    p.  M.     All   glad  and  happy  and 

dusty  and   tired,  and   too   full   for   utterance. 


TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


j£r  has  always  been  a  source  of  wonder  and  admiration  with  the  public, 
how  it  is  that  the  Old  Firemen  continue  to  maintain  that  esprit  de  corps 
so  noted  in  the  days  of  the  late  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  so  entirely 
their  own  and  unknown  in  other  bodies  ;  it  is  a  fact  difficult  to  explain, 
for  they  certainly  do  retain  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  country 
which  time  appears  rather  to  increase  than  diminish.  It  can,  however, 
in  a  measure,  be  accounted  for  as  follows  : 

Since  the  days  of  1798  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department  has  embraced  among 
its  members  the  very  best  classes  of  our  citizens,  and  to-day  they  can  be  found 
throughout  the  walks  of  life  of  the  entire  world,  still  cherishing  the  same  fraternal 
feeling  for  their  old  institution.  Ministers  to  Foreign  Countries,  Judges,  Mayors, 
prominent  officials  of  all  kinds,  and  millionaires  without  number,  have  once  been 
Volunteer  Firemen  ;  their  Initiation  and  Discharge  Certificates  occupy  a  prominent 
place  in  their  homes,  and  cherished  as  proud  mementos  of  the  stirring  and  haz- 
ardous days  of  a  Fireman,  so  fraught  with  danger  as  to  be  almost  a  fascination. 


io  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

With  this  element  permeating,  as  it  were,  all  communities,  it  is  hardly  surprising 
that  the  appearance  of  the  Old  Firemen  should  at  once  call  forth  spontaneous 
applause ;  in  fact,  with  our  citizens,  no  important  event  in  our  Metropolis  has  ever 
been  considered  complete  without  a  representation  from  the  Fire  Department,  which, 
on  such  occasions,  received  the  most  marked  attention  from  all  classes  of  our  citizens; 
in  fact,  the  Old  Volunteer  Firemen  have  always  been  the  feature  of  all  parades 
in  which  they  have  participated,  notably,  the  "  Erie  Canal  Celebration,"  the  "  Recep- 
tion of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayelte,"  the  "Croton  Water  Celebration,"  the  "Reception  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales,"  the  "Celebration  of  the  Laying  of  the  Cable,"  the  "Centennial  Cele- 
bration of  Evacuation  day,  1883,"  and  the  "Inauguration  of  the  Bartholdi  Statue;" 
the  same  pride  and  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  old  Department  has  been 
perpetuated  and  kept  alive  by  organizations  of  different  associations. 

Previous  to  our  last  Presidential  election,  a  number  of  members  of  the  old 
Department  met  together  to  discuss  the  feasibility  of  forming  an  association  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  part  in  the  next  Presidential  inauguration  ;  the  subject  \vas 
very  favorably  considered,  and  at  a  subsequent  meeting,  held  in  the  early  part  of 
September,  1884,  an  Association  was  formed  for  that  purpose,  under  the  name  of 
the  "  Veteran  Firemen's  Association,"  and  the  following  Officers  were  selected  for 
the  proposed  trip,  viz.  : 

GEORGE  T.  PATTERSON,  of  Engine  Co.  8,  Foreman. 

WILLIAM  B.  DUNLEY,  "         "          '*     6,  ist  Assistant-Foreman. 

PETER    P.  PULLIS,  "    Hose   Co.   40,  2d         "  " 

Louis  F.  HALLEN,  "   Engine  Co.   34,  Treasurer. 

JAMES  H.  BARTLEY,  "    Hose  Co.   i,  Secretary. 

It  took  but  a  few  days  to  fill  the  roll  to  the  requisite  number  (200),  and  on  the 
morning  of  March  3d,  1885,  they  left  the  Grand  Central  Hotel,  with  168  men  on 
the  rope,  clad  in  the  old  regulation  uniform — Dark  Blue  Fire  Coat  and  Pants,  Red 
Shirt,  Black  Neck-tie  and  regulation  Fire  Cap ;  they  had  with  them  a  very  hand- 
some Double-deck  Engine,  belonging  to  Mr.  John  Moller  (a  member  of  the  Asso- 
ciation), who  had  purchased  it  in  Philadelphia  for  this  occasion.  Mr.  George  R. 
Conner  of  Hose  Co.  6  was  appointed  Marshal,  and  the  following  gentlemen  Aids, 
viz.:  F.  A.  Ridabock  of  Hook  and  Ladder  12,  John  Moller  of  Engine  6,  Louis 
J.  Parker  of  Engine  34,  Eugene  Ward  of  Engine  29,  John  McCauley  of  Engine 
31,  and  Abraham  Slaight  of  Hose  40,  and  the  following  Corps  of  Ex-Chief  and 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  n 

Assistant  Engineers  :     Ex-Chief  Engineer    Harry   Howard,  Ex-Assistants  Thos.  Cleary, 
Bernard   Kenny,    and   John    B.  Prote,   Assistant-Engineer   of  Yonkers. 

The    march     down     Broadway     was    the     commencement   of  an    ovation    which 
greeted   them    from    their   departure   till   their   return. 


At  Washington,  their  reception  was  most  enthusiastic ;  their  splendid  appear- 
ance calling  forth  encomiums  from  all,  and  they  were  assigned  the  second  post 
of  honor  in  the  procession.  On  their  return  they  were  captured  at  Baltimore  by 
the  Baltimoreans,  headed  by  their  whole-souled  Mayor,  F.  C.  Latrobe  (who  was  an 
old  Volunteer  Fireman),  and  tendered  the  Freedom  of  the  City,  and  presented  the 
Keys  of  the  Public  Institutions  of  Baltimore,  and  a  memento  of  their  visit,  con- 
sisting of  a  highly  burnished  Copper  Shield,  20x15  inches,  in  the  shape  of  a  Fire 
Cap  Front,  in  the  center  of  which  is  another  Shield,  silver-plated,  with  the  following 
inscription  : 

KEYS  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BALTIMORE, 
Presented  by  the  HON.  F.   C.   LATROBE,  Mayor, 

To  the  VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION, 

On  their  Visit  to  Baltimore  and  Washington, 

March  3d,  4th  and  5th,   1885. 


12 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


Surrounding  this  are  twelve  keys,  fac-similes  of  those  of  the  public  institutions 
of  Baltimore,  viz.:  City  Hall,  Engine  Houses,  Station  Houses,  Parks,  Theaters, 
Monuments,  Churches,  Penitentiary,  Jail,  Bay  View,  Night  Key  and  the  Key  of  the 
buildings  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  to  which 
is  attached  a  Five-Cent  Nickel  Piece.  At  each  corner  of 
the  main  Shield  is  a  model  of  the  Baltimore  Monument, 
and  at  the  top  is  a  pair  of  Clasped  Hands.  A  silver-plated 
American  Eagle,  perched  on  a  globe,  with  red,  white  and 
blue  streamers  floating  from  its  beak,  surmounts  the  brass 
standard  to  which  the  Shield  is  attached. 

The  Mayor,  in  making  the  presentation,  alluded  in 
flattering  terms  to  the  Volunteer  Firemen  of  New  York,  who 
had  ever  had  a  warm  place  in  the  heart  of  the 
Baltimoreans. 

Ex-Chief  Engineer  Harry  Howard  responded  in  behalf 
of  the  Association  in  his  usual  happy  and  felicitous  manner, 
which  drew  plaudits  from  the  surrounding  throng. 

At  Philadelphia,  they  received  another  flattering  and 
enthusiastic  reception.  They  arrived  in  that  city  at  9 
o'clock  on  the  evening  of  March  6th,  and  were 
received  by  the  Volunteer  Firemen's  Association  of  that 
City  and  escorted  through  the  principal  streets  to  the 
Bound  Brook  Hotel,  where  a  magnificent  banquet  was  given,  the  Hon. 
William  Mann,  of  Philadelphia,  delivering  the  Address  of  Welcome,  which  was 
responded  to,  on  behalf  of  the  Association,  by  Ex-Chief  Harry  Howard, 
Geo.  T.  Patterson,  George  W.  Anderson,  George  R.  Conner  and  others,  after 
which  they  marched  to  the  Bingham  House  and  put  up  for  the  night.  The 
next  morning  a  breakfast  was  served  at  Donaldson's,  after  which  the  Volunteer 
Firemen's  Association  escorted  them  to  the  different  places  of  interest 
about  the  city,  including  Wannemaker's,  U.  S.  Mint,  New  City  Hall,  winding  up 
by  marching  with  them  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Depot.  On  the  route  they 
received  the  same  flattering  attention,  and  their  arrival  home  was  marked  by  a 
welcome  such  as  Firemen  only  know  how  to  give.  Soon  after  their  arrival, 
Mr.  Dorsey,  the  proprietor  of  Barnum's  City  Hotel,  at  Baltimore,  forwarded  a  beau- 
tiful Standard  of  Blue  Silk,  with  the  Coat  of  arms  of  the  City  of  Baltimore 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  13 

embroidered  thereon,  as  a  slight  token  of  his  esteem  and  as  a  memento  of  their 
visit  to  the  Monumental  City.  The  happy  associations  of  old  friends  thus  revived 
were  more  firmly  cemented  by  this  short  trip,  and  it  was  resolved  to  make  the 
organization  a  permanent  one.  A  call  was  accordingly  made  for  a  meeting  to 
be  held  on  March  i5th,  1885,  which  was  largely  attended,  and  it  was  unanimously 
resolved  to  organize  permanently  under  the  name  of  the  "Veteran  Firemen's 
Association,"  and  the  following  named  gentlemen  were  unanimously  elected  the 
Officers  : 

GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  of  Hose  22,  President. 

JOHN  MOLLER,  of  Engine  6,  Vice-President. 

JAMES  F.  WENMAN,  Ex-Assistant-Engineer,       Treasurer. 

BERNARD  M.  SWEENY,  of  Engine  39,  Recording  Secretary. 

JAMES  H.   BARTLEY,  of  Hose  i,  Financial  Secretary. 

HENRY  JONES,  of  Engine  40,  Sergeant- at-Arms. 

Board  of  Trustees. — Fred.  A.  Ridabock,  Hook  and  Ladder  12;  John  Tuomey, 
Engine  7  ;  Thomas  Barrett,  Engine  12  ;  Abram  C.  Hull,  Hook  and  Ladder  13  ; 
Edward  Bonnell,  Hose  16;  Eugene  Ward,  Engine  29;  Henry  Gunther,  Hose  4; 
Abraham  Slaight,  Hose  40 ;  William  Orford,  Hose  58 ;  Daniel  Quinn,  Engine  3  ; 
Thomas  Cleary,  Engine  20;  Daniel  Garvey,  Hose  6;  Richard  Evans,  Engine  6; 
G.  T.  Patterson,  Engine  8  ;  Patrick  Daily,  Engine  17,  with  a  rank  and  file  of 
250  members. 

The  object  of  the  formation  of  the  organization  being  to  renew  the  social  inter- 
course that  existed  in  the  old  Volunteer  Department,  a  Committee  was  appointed 
to  select  suitable  Headquarters.  They  succeeded  in  securing  the  old  family  man- 
sion of  the  Lorillards',  located  at  53  East  Tenth  Street,  near  Broadway.  The  building 
is  a  four  story  Brown  Stone  Front,  28  feet  wide  by  80  feet  deep.  The  Committee 
were  instructed  to  fit  it  up  as  a  Club  House,  regardless  of  expense,  and  it  is  fur- 
nished from  top  to  bottom  in  the  most  luxurious  style,  with  library,  reading-rooms, 
billiard-rooms,  restaurant,  and  every  convenience  of  a  first-class  Club.  The  house 
contains  many  cherished  relics  of  the  old  Department. 

The  parlors  contain  several  very  costly  Oil  Paintings  and  Steel  Engraved  Por- 
traits of  old  Firemen,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  those  of  Ex-Assistant 
Engineer  James  F.  Wenman  and  Edward  W.  Jacobs,  executed  in  oil  by  that  emi- 
nent Artist,  Joseph  H.  Johnson,  and  presented  to  the  Association  by  their  many 
friends  and  admirers.  Also  very  large-sized  Crayons  of  their  President,  Mr.  George 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


CLUB    HOUSE. 


W.  Anderson,  Vice-President  John  Moller,  Frederick  A.  Ridabock,  Eugene  Ward, 
and  Portraits  in  Oil  of  Ex-Chief  Engineers  James  Gulick  and  Harry  Howard,  Ex- 
Engineer  John  B.  Miller,  Matthew  T.  Brennan,  Ex-Foreman  of  Engine  21,  Henry 
S.  Mansfield,  Ex-Foreman  of  Hose  9,  David  C.  Broderick,  Ex-Foreman  of  Engine  34. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


Wm.  A.  Woodhull,  Ex-Foreman  of   Hose  36,   Ex-Alderman  Wesley  Smith,  of  Hydrant 
Co.    No.    4,  and  many  others. 

Under  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  its  popular  President,  Mr.  George  W.  An- 
derson, the  Association  now  numbers  over  500  members. 

Among  the  many  reminiscences  of  the  old  Department,  none  have  left  a  more 
pleasant  and  lasting  impression  than  the  Annual  Balls  given  by  the  Firemen's  Ball 
Committee,  in  aid  of  the  Widow  and  Orphans  Benevolent  Fund  (a  brief  history  of 
which  is  given  elsewhere),  and  as  most  of  the  members  of  that  Committee  are 
now  members  of  this  Association,  it  was  decided  to  revive  the  custom,  and  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House  was  engaged  for  the  first  Ball,  which  took  place  on 

Tuesday  Evening,  Jan.  I2th,  1886,  and  was  a  most 
brilliant  success  in  every  particular,  and  placed  it 
at  once  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  Terpsichorean 
festivities  of  the  City.  Previous  to  the  opening  of 
the  Ball,  two  beautiful  gold  badges,  set  in  diamonds, 
were  presented  to  the  President,  George  W.  Anderson, 
and  Vice-President  John  Moller.  The  second  Annual 
Ball  was  given  at  the  same  place  on  Tuesday 
Evening,  Jan.  i8th,  1887,  and  (if  such  a  thing 
were  possible)  was  even  more  brilliant  than  its 
predecessor.  A  number  of  private  boxes,  beauti- 
fully decorated,  were  set  apart  for  representatives 
from  the  veteran  "Old  Guard"  of  this  City,  the 
Veteran  Firemen's  Associations  from  Baltimore,  Wash- 
ington, Philadelphia,  New  Haven,  Jamaica,  Hoboken 
and  Brooklyn,  Phoenix  Hose  Co.  of  Poughkeepsie 
and  Continental  Hose  of  Elizabeth. 

Before  commencing  the  festivities  of  the  evening, 
the  members  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen's  Association 
of  Brooklyn,  through  their  respected  President, 
Judge  Courtney,  presented  the  Association  with  a  slight  memorial  of  friendship 
and  esteem,  in  the  shape  of  a  large  Fire  Cap  Front  of  highly  polished  copper, 
with  silver  mountings,  beautifully  encased  in  a  gilt  frame,  with  the  following 
inscription  thereon  : 


16  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

Presented  to   THE  VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION 
of  the   City   of  New   York, 

by  the 

BROOKLYN  VOLUNTEER  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION 
of  the   City    of  Brooklyn,  W.   D., 
January  18,    1887. 


"£m  Dracht  Macht  Macht." 
B.  V.   F.  A. 

The  speech  of  the  Judge  was  in  his  usual  able  and  happy  strain.  President 
Anderson  received  this  token  of  brotherhood  as  another  binding  link  of  good 
fellowship.  (This  beautiful  memento  now  adorns  the  walls  of  the  parlor  at  head- 
quarters. ) 

There  was  always  one  characteristic  of  the  old  Firemen  ;  that  was,  to  be  kept 
thoroughly  posted  as  to  what  was  occurring  in  different  parts  of  the  country  re- 
lating to  fire  matters.  The  same  holds  good  now,  and  the  thorough  and  successful 
organization  of  the  Veterans  was  followed  by  invitations  from  various  Fire  Depart- 
ments to  visit  their  cities  and  take  part  in  the  Annual  Parades.  Of  course,  many 
had  to  be  refused,  but  they  have  taken  part  in  enough  to  keep  them  pretty  well 
employed,  the  most  notable  of  which  were  the  following  : 

The  parade  of  the  Jamaica  Fire  Department,  when  they,  with  ico  men,  were 
enthusiastically  received  by  the  Authorities  and  Fire  Department  and  entertained 
royally,  and  left  carrying  with  them  the  good  wishes  of  all. 

Their  next  visit  was  to  Bayonne,  N.  J.,  Oct.  yth,  1885,  on  invitation  of  the 
Bayonne  Fire  Department,  where  they  were  the  recipients  of  hospitalities  from  the 
citizens  generally,  and  while  they  were  the  guests  of  the  Fire  Department,  the 
ladies  of  the  city  considered  them  their  special  guests.  The  Company  numbered 
175  men;  they  were  met  at  Bergen  Point,  on  arrival  of  the  boat,  by  committees 
from  the  City  Authorities,  Fire  Department,  Bayonne  Athletic  Club,  and  Argonaut 
Boat  Club,  and  escorted  to  a  bounteous  repast,  after  partaking  of  which  the  line 
of  march  was  formed,  the  Veterans  being  courteously  given  the  right  of  the  line. 
(The  wives  and  families  of  the  members  who  had  accompanied  them  on  the  boat 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  17 

were  taken  in  charge  by  the  ladies  of  Bayonne  and  made  to  feel  a  New  Jersey 
greeting.)  The  city  presented  a  holiday  appearance,  and  banners — "Welcome  to 
Veterans  of  New  York " — met  you  at  every  turn  ;  in  fact,  the  applause  and  recep- 
tion all  along  the  line  of  march  was  such  as  would  lead  one  to  suppose  the  parade  to 
be  entirely  in  honor  of  the  Veterans,  which  was  still  further  strengthened  by  a  shower 
of  presentations,  for  before  the  line  of  march  was  taken  up  the  Veterans  were 
drawn  up  in  front  of  a  Grand  Stand,  when  Mayor  Henry  Meigs  presented 
the  Association  with  a  Red  Silk  Banneret  from  the  Athletic  Club  of  Bayonne, 
a  White  Silk  Banneret  from  the  Argonaut  Boat  Club,  and  a  most  superb  Silk  Ameri- 
can Flag  from  the  Bayonne  Fire  Department,  and  a  small  cannon  presented  by  Miss 
May  A.  Wildey ;  these  gifts  were  feelingly  received  by  President  Anderson,  when 
another  surprise  took  the  genial  President  unawares  and  he  called  Ex-Engineer  Jas. 
F.  Wenman  to  the  front  to  receive  from  Mrs.  Henry  Meigs,  on  behalf  of  the  ladies 
of  Bayonne,  a  beautiful  Banner  of  Blue  Silk,  handsomely  Embroidered.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  the  Veterans  returned  to  the  city  heavy  laden  with  the  kindness  of 
the  citizens  of  Bayonne,  and  with  hearts  full  of  most  pleasant  recollections. 

Phoenix  Hose  Co.,  of  Poughkeepsie,  making  a  trip  to  Boston,  decided  to  make 
a  short  stop  in  this  City  on  their  way  home,  which,  coming  to  the  ears  of  the 
Veterans,  they  decided  to  try  and  capture  them  for  a  few  hours.  Their  manner  of 
doing  so  is  best  shown  in  the  following  clipping  from  one  of  the  daily 
papers  : 

RECEPTION     TO     PHO2NIX     HOSE. 

A  Reception  was  tendered  the  Phoenix  Hose  No.  I  (the  Swell  Company)  of  Poughkeepsie,  at 
the  Parlors  in  Tenth  Street,  on  their  return  from  Boston.  They  were  met  at  Fall  River  by  over 
eighty  members  of  the  Veteran  Association.  On  landing  in  New  York  the  visitors  were  escorted 
to  the  Astor  House,  where  a  breakfast  was  given  by  Mr.  Allen,  the  proprietor,  who  was  formerly 
a  resident  of  Poughkeepsie.  The  party  then,  accompanied  by  the  band  and  the  handsome  $3,500 
parade  carriage  of  the  Phoenix,  proceeded  up  Broadway,  attracting  great  attention  and  frequent 
applause.  The  visitors  were  made  welcome  at  the  Club  Rooms  and  enjoyed  themselves  socially 
until  2  o'clock,  when  lunch  was  served. 

The  basement  had  been  turned  into  a  banquet-room,  and  over  200  jolly  fire  laddies  sat  down 
to  do  justice  to  the  sumptuous  repast  under  which  the  tables  groaned,  and  the  laddies  smiled 
under  the  influence  of  champagne.  The  toast  was  proposed  by  President  Anderson,  "The  Vol- 
unteer Fire  Department  of  Foughkeepsie — May  its  members  continue  to  enjoy  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  the  citizens  in  their  laudable  efforts  in  saving  life  and  protecting  property  from  the 
fiery  elements."  Mr.  Brown,  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Enterprise,  responded. 


X8  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

The  President  then  proposed  the  toast:  "Phoenix  Hose  No.  I,  who  derived  their  name  from 
the  bird  that  arises  from  its  own  ashes  with  renewed  life.  So  may  their  organization  rise  trium- 
phant over  every  difficulty  with  renewed  life  for  further  exertions  in  the  sacred  cause  to  which 
they  are  devoted."  Mayor  White  (who  is  an  old  fireman  and  is  president  of  the  Poughkeepsie 
College)  responded  in  a  witty  and  happy  strain. 

The  President  of  the  Veterans  then  presented  Chief  Kaess  with  a  fire  hat  on  behalf  of  the 
organization.  The  Chief,  who  is  a  jolly  big  fellow,  declared  he  would  wear  it  on  every  occasion 
and  would  never  disgrace  it. 

"Foreman  Van  Kleeck's  head  has  grown  since  this  hat  was  made  for  him,"  said  the  Chair- 
man, holding  up  a  silver  toy  fire  hat,  "but  in  the  hope  that  it  will  expand  when  directly 
subjected  to  the  influence  of  his  large  brain,  I  present  it  to  him  on  behalf  of  the  Veteran  Fire- 
men's Association  of  the  City  of  New  York." 

Mr.  Van  Kleeck  said  he  was  not  a  speaker,  but  would  call  for  three  cheers  for  the  Veteran 
Firemen's  Association  of  New  York.  The  banquet-hall  echoed  with  the  thundering  response.  The 
Poughkeepsie  boys  took  the  Hudson  River  boat  at  4  o'clock  for  Kingston,  where  they  were  warmly 
received  and  then  proceeded  home. 

This  pleasant  entertainment  was  soon  followed  by  a  special  invitation  from 
"Phoenix  Hose  Co.  No.  i,"  to  take  part  in  the  Annual  Parade  of  the  Poughkeepsie 
Fire  Department  and  be  their  "Guests."  As  a  refusal  would  not  be  considered, 
the  Veterans  mustered  200  men  and  chartered  the  Steamboat  "Crystal  Stream," 
arriving  at  Poughkeepsie  in  the  early  evening,  and  such  a  reception  as  they  received 
has  never  been  seen  on  this  continent.  An  old-fashion  Torchlight  Parade  had  been 
arranged  to  welcome  the  Vets ;  on  landing  at  the  wharf  they  were  met  by  Phoe- 
nix Hose  Co.  No.  i  and  the  entire  Fire  Department,  headed  by  that  prince  of 
whole-souled  firemen,  Chief-Engineer  Kaess,  and  started  on  the  march. 

The  Veterans  had  seen  and  taken  part  in  nearly  all  of  the  Torchlight  Parades  in 
this  country  and  many  had  seen  them  in  all  parts  of  Europe,  but  "Pough- 
keepsie" eclipsed  them  all.  From  the  landing  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  the  end  of 
the  march,  a  distance  of  about  four  miles,  the  streets  were  literally  on  fire.  The 
Vets  had  often  been  singed  in  fighting  fire,  but  here  they  were  called  upon  to 
get  singed  in  marching  through  "Fires  of  Welcome."  No  pen  can  describe  that 
sight,  but  one  can  imagine  what  it  might  be,  with  Tar  Barrels,  stationed  10  feet 
apart  on  both  sides  of  the  street,  ablaze,  and  from  every  house  on  the  route  fire- 
works, Red  and  Blue  Lights  burning  from  every  window,  Companies  of  Infantry 
firing  their  rifles  from  their  armories,  and  every  foot  of  ground  on  sidewalks 
crowded  with  citizens,  aglow  with  excitement  and  enthusiasm,  and  you  can  form 
a  slight  idea  of  the  "Welcome  to  the  Veterans"  displayed  on  all  sides.  After 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  19 

the  Parade  they  were  entertained  at  a  Banquet  given  in  the  Town  Hall,  presided 
over  by  the  Mayor  of  Poughkeepsie,  who,  on  behalf  of  the  City  Authorities, 
tendered  them  the  freedom  of  the  City.  Quarters  were  provided  at  the  Nelson 
House  and  Morgan  Hotel,  and  the  house  of  Phoenix  Hose  Co.  placed  at  their 
disposal. 

The  following  day  the  Vets  were  assigned  the  right  of  the  line  in  the  Annual 
Parade  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Department,  when  they  received  another  perfect  ovation 
and  were  the  center  of  attraction.  Their  appearance  elicited  universal  admiration. 
Another  banquet  and  a  parting  Good-Bye  at  the  house  of  their  friends  (Phoenix 
Hose),  they  took  their  steamer,  and  with  Band  playing  "Auld  Lang  Syne " 
and  amidst  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and  booming  of  cannon  they  bade  adieu  to 
their  hosts,  thus  cementing  another  link  of  brotherhood.  "Home  again" — but  they 
were  not  to  be  allowed  to  seek  their  homes  quietly,  for  the  Veteran  Firemen's 
"Sons"  thought  they  would  give  the  old  gentlemen  a  reception,  and  met  them  at 
the  wharf  and  escorted  them  to  headquarters ;  the  citizens  along  the  route  thought 
they  would  have  something  to  say  about  it  and  welcomed  them  with  a  grand 
display  of  Fireworks  up  to  the  doors  of  headquarters.  In  passing  the  armory  of 
the  Old  Guard  a  hearty  Welcome  Home  resounded  therefrom.  This  closed  one 
of  the  most  enjoyable  of  trips,  leaving  nothing  but  sweet  recollections. 

At  the  recent  inaugural  ceremonies  of  the  Bartholdi  Statue  the  Association  took 
a  prominent  part.  This  event  showed  how  dear  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  the 
memory  of  the  old  Volunteer  Firemen  clung.  No  greater  assemblage  of  people 
•ever  gathered  in  our  City  than  on  that  day,  to  witness  the  Military,  Civic,  and 
Volunteer  Firemen  parade.  The  Military  and  Civic  portion  received  plaudits,  but 
nothing  like  enthusiasm  was  exhibited  until  the  column  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen 
came  in  sight,  when  one  continuous  outbreak  of  enthusiasm  followed  them  through 
the  entire  line  of  march.  The  Veterans  received  marked  attention  from  the  assem- 
bled multitude,  and  in  passing  the  Grand  Reviewing  Stand  received  a  noticeable 
acknowledgment  from  President  Cleveland  remarking  to  one  of  his  staff  that  he 
remembered  that  Company  as  being  present  at  his  inaugural. 

The  Association  paraded  217  men  on  the  rope  in  full  uniform,  preceded  by 
Diller's  band  of  60  pieces.  The  Corps  of  Engineers  consisted  of  Ex-Chief  Harry 
Howard,  with  the  Chief-Engineers  of  Poughkeepsie,  Plainfield  and  Yonkers, 
Ex-Assistant  Engineers  James  F.  Wenman,  Elisha  Kingsland,  Edward  W.  Jacobs, 
Thomas  Cleary  and  John  H.  Foreman.  Their  beautiful  engine  (which  had  been 


20  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

purchased  by  the  Association  from  Mr.  John  Moller  and  redecorated  and  painted 
at  great  expense)  fairly  outshone  itself,  and  on  the  top  gallery  was  mounted  a 
fine  Bronze  Statue  of  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World. 

The  Association  had  as  guests  on  that  occasion,  to  whom  they  acted  as  an 
Escort,  the  following  Companies : 

The  Veteran  Volunteer  Firemen's  Association  of  Philadelphia,  Veteran  Volunteer 
Firemen's  Association  of  Baltimore,  the  Continental  Hose  Co.  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J., 
the  Exempt  Firemen's  Association  of  Brooklyn,  E.  D.,  the  Volunteer  Firemen's  As- 
sociation of  Brooklyn,  and  delegates  from  Phoenix  Hose  Co.  No.  i  of  Poughkeepsie, 
whom  they  entertained  at  a  banquet  in  the  evening  at  Irving  Hall,  at  which  600 
persons  sat  down. 

The  occasion  was  a  most  enjoyable  one,  and  it  was  with  reluctance  that  the 
time  was  announced  for  a  separation,  previous  to  which,  however,  the  Baltimore 
and  Elizabeth  visitors  presented  the  Veterans  with  their  Banners  and  Flags  as 
mementos  of  the  occasion. 

It  was  at  this  gathering,  in  talking  over  the  olden  times  and  various  excur- 
sions taken  by  different  companies,  and  of  the  wishes  so  often  expressed  to  make 
a  trip  to  the  Golden  Gate,  that  the  proposed  trip  of  the  Veterans  to  California 
took  birth,  and  at  the  next  meeting  a  Committee,  consisting  of  Thomas  Barrington, 
James  F.  Wenman  and  Nelson  D.  Thayer  were  appointed  to  report  upon  the 
feasibility  of  making  such  a  tour.  Taking  the  matter  at  once  in  hand,  at  the 
succeeding  meeting  they  unanimously  recommended  such  a  trip,  which  report  was 
warmly  approved  by  the  Association  and  a  resolution  adopted,  referring  it  to  the 
following  committee  to  make  all  arrangements  for  what  bids  fair  to  be  the  most 
gigantic  and  successful  trip  ever  made  across  our  continent.  The  Committee 
consists  of  Messrs.  George  W.  Anderson,  Thomas  Barrington,  James  F.  Wenman, 
Nelson  D.  Thayer,  George  T.  Patterson,  William  McMahon,  Eugene  Ward,  John 
Dawson  and  Thomas  Leavy. 

But  while  indulging  in  pleasure  and  festivities  they  have  not  lost  sight  of 
their  other  less  fortunate  brother  firemen,  but  quietly  performed  one  of  the  most 
benevolent  acts  ever  undertaken  in  the  Department.  The  want  of  a  Home  for 
the  poor  and  distressed  firemen  has  long  been  felt,  and  while  our  city  abounds 
in  Homes  for  the  poor  and  distressed,  the  Firemen  appear  to  have  been  forgotten. 
The  subject  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Association  by  President  Ander- 
son, and  a  Charter  was  at  once  obtained  for  the  establishing  of  such  a  Home, 
to  be  known  as  the  "Veteran  Firemen's  Home  Association.'' 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


On  the  afternoon  of  Thursday,  May  26th,  1887,  the  Veteran  Volunteer  Fire- 
men's Association  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn,  of  which  Mr.  James  A.  Walsh  is 
President,  paraded  through  New  York  City  with  their  beautiful  double-deck  hand 
Engine  which  they  had  just  received  from  the  decorators,  and  passed  through 
East  Tenth  Street,  their  intention  being  to  give  the  Veterans  a  marching  salute, 
but  the  Veterans  determined  to  outflank  them,  if  possible,  so  they  quietly  blocked 
the  street  and  captured  the  entire  party,  band  and  drum  corps  included,  and 
marched  them  into  the  Club  House,  and  there  set  them  down  to  a  table  loaded 
with  good  things  calculated  to  appease  hunger  and  quench  thirst,  after  which  the 
Veterans,  some  seventy  in  number,  clad  in  full  fire  rig,  escorted  them  to  the 
Battery  and  saw  them  safely  aboard  the  South  Ferry  boat  and  sent  them  on 
their  way  rejoicing  ;  but  the  Brooklyn  Vets  were  not  to  be  outdone  so  easily,  so 
on  Wednesday  Evening,  August  3d,  while  the  regular  Meeting  of  the  Veterans 
was  in  session,  they  were  suddenly  interrupted  in  their  proceedings  by  a  large 
delegation,  headed  by  Mr.  Munson  S.  Brown  (who,  by  the  way,  is  also  a  member 
of  our  own  Association),  bearing  with  them  a  beautifully  engrossed  set  of  resolutions, 
surrounded  by  an  elegant  gold  frame,  thanking  the  Veterans  for  courtesies  extended, 
and  promising  to  behave  themselves  the  next  time  they  visited  New  York,  and 
not  try  to  pass  them  in  their  own  street. 


From  Sheldon's  "  Story  of  Volunteer  Fire  Department. 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


D.  H.  ANDERSON,  PHOTOGRAPHER. 


MARCH  yTH,  1885. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  23 


FTER  the  return  of  the  Veterans  from  their  trip  to  Washington,  where 
they  assisted  at  the  inauguration  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
on  March  4th,  1885,  they  resolved  to  commemorate  the  incident  of 
their  presence  at  the  Capital  of  the  country  on  that  memorable  occa- 
sion, by  a  picture  of  the  group.  In  order  to  secure  strict  accuracy, 
every  member  of  the  party  called  at  the  studio  of  the  artist,  Mr.  D.  H.  Anderson, 
at  No.  785  Broadway,  himself  an  old  Volunteer  Fireman,  and  were  photographed 
singly.  To  infuse  prominent  features  of  New  York  City  street  life  into  the  scene, 
newsboys  and  a  bootblack  were  taken  to  the  gallery  and  their  likenesses  also  secured 
in  professional  attire  and  position.  A  photograph  of  the  Engine  was  then  taken  and 
the  presentments  of  the  Veterans  were  then  arranged  in  their  proper  places,  as 
they  appeared  in  the  triumphal  march  up  Broadway  on  their  return  from  Wash- 
ington on  the  afternoon  of  March  yth.  The  site  selected  for  the  illustration  of 
the  work  was  the  famous  thoroughfare  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  City  Hall 
Park.  In  the  middle  ground,  partly  hidden  by  venerable  trees,  are  seen  the  Old 
City  Hall,  the  County  Court  House,  and  other  municipal  buildings.  In  the  back- 
ground, on  Park  Row  and  Beekman  Street,  are  the  Tribune  and  Potter  buildings, 
and  Temple  Court,  all  triumphs  of  architectural  skill,  while  a  portion  of  the  Post 
Office  looms  up  at  the  south,  and  Chambers  Street,  with  the  Stewart  Building  and 
other  commercial  edifices,  appears  on  the  north.  The  features  of  the  Veterans 
and  bystanders  are  brought  out  with  speaking  exactitude,  and  the  entire  picture, 
which  is  12  feet  long  by  8  feet  wide,  and  handsomely  framed,  vividly  recalls  the 
noted  trip  of  which  it  is  a  souvenir.  Many  copies  have  been  taken  for  the  Vet- 
erans and  their  friends,  and  adorn  the  walls  of  their  homes  or  places  of  busi- 
ness. 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


Complete  Description   oj    Phcenix    Hose    Co.    Carriage.       Nearly    all    Gold,    Silver,    Steel   and    Glass. 
Built  by   W.    W.    Wunder,  of  Reading,  Pa.     Fancy   Work  by  Devoosney  Bros.,  New  York. 
Received  by  Phcenix  Hose    Co.  on    September  4th,   1884. 


Carriage   stands    n    feet   5    inches    high   from   the   floor   to   top   of  figure 
over  the   reel,   and,  with    the   exceptions   of  the   wheels    and    tongue   and 
lockers,    which   are   of  wood,  is    entirely  constructed   of  gold,    silver,    steel 
and  glass.     The   wheels  stand  5  feet   6   inches    and   5   feet   8    inches   high. 
They   are   of  the  Archibald   pattern,    with   gold   hubs.       The   tongue   is  of 
hickory,  elegantly   carved;    the   handles,  etc.,   being   of  silver.     The  wheels 
and   tongue   are   painted   carmine    and   gold,   and   are   the  only  parts  of  the  Carriage 
that   are   painted.       The   axles,  reach,  arches,    springs,  etc.,   are  of  the   best   polished 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  25 

steel,  silver-plated,  not  electro-plated,  but  hand-plated.  The  reel  heads  are  of  glass, 
cut  and  designed  in  the  most  costly  manner.  In  each  reel-head  are  eight 
panels  cut  in  the  glass,  and  in  each  panel  is  cut  a  glass  ornament  as  follows : 
In  the  top  panel  the  Coat  of  arms  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  in  the  bottom 
panel,  the  Coat  of  arms  of  the  City  of  Poughkeepsie ;  in  the  left  hand  panel  is 
a  fac-simile  of  the  old  Carriage  of  "Phoenix";  in  the  right  are  the  fire  emblems — 
Hat,  Trumpet,  Pipe,  Torch  and  Lamp,  and  in  the  four  intervening  panels  are  cut 
emblems  representing  the  four  seasons  of  the  year — Spring,  Summer,  Autumn,  and 
Winter.  In  the  center  of  each  reel-head  is  placed  a  gold  hydrant,  full  size,  and 
by  unscrewing  the  caps,  the  cranks  can  be  put  on  and  hose  reeled  on,  if  neces- 
sary. On  ground  work,  underneath  the  hydrant,  is  the  word  "  Phoenix "  in  raised 
gold  letters.  The  lockers  are  of  rose-wood  framed  with  gold,  and  in  each  end 
is  a  cut-glass  ornament.  The  figures  on  the  front  represents  two  Rescues,  viz.  : 
Fireman  rescuing  a  Child  from  a  burning  building,  and  Dog  rescuing  a  Child  from 
the  water.  The  rear  ones  represent  the  Goddess  of  Liberty,  and  Female  riding 
an  Eagle  through  the  clouds.  The  lifters  are  elegant,  gold  equestrian  statues, 
and  represent  ancient  chargers,  Knight  and  Horse.  On  the  front  are  the  words 
"Organized,  1844,"  and  in  the  rear,  "Poughkeepsie,"  in  raised  gold  letters.  The 
side  arches  are  of  a  new  and  beautiful  design,  and  something  never  before  seen 
on  a  hose  carriage.  They  are  heavily  silver-plated,  and  on  the  top  center  of  each 
stands  a  gold-plated  statue,  representing  an  Amazon  holding  in  one  hand  a  small 
lamp  of  unique  design  and  in  the  other  holding  a  spear  and  shield.  On  the 
center  of  a  bar  which  goes  over  the  reel  stands  a  silver  figure  37  inches  high, 
representing  Flying  Mercury.  The  original  bronze  figure  was  brought  from  Paris 
by  R.  R.  Dennis,  Esq.,  one  of  the  Committee. 

The  Jacket  or  Apron  is  of  silver,  secured  by  two  gold  bands,  the  borders  of 
which  are  splendidly  engraved.  On  the  front  is  a  Monogram  of  the  Company, 
all  in  raised  letters,  and  on  the  rear  is  a  large  Phoenix  bird  in  raised  gold. 

The  front  and  rear  signal  frames,  bell  galleries,  scrolls,  etc.,  are  of  silver. 
The  front  has  three  signal  lamps,  and  the  rear  two.  The  lamps  are  of  silver,  and 
of  the  finest  pattern  that  can  be  produced.  The  large  one  in  front  is  mounted 
with  an  American  Eagle  in  gold,  and  the  others  with  gold  Phoenix  birds.  On 
the  center  of  the  back  arch  is  a  silver  figure  of  old  "  Neptune."  Underneath  the 
signals  hang  two  handsome  silver  hand-lamps.  In  the  front  bell  gallery  are 
two  silver  bells  of  the  Lily  pattern,  and  between  the  bells  and  directly  under- 


26 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


neath  the  center  signal  hangs  a  silver  sea  shell,  in  the  center  of  which  is  the 
figure  i,  and  surrounded  by  the  motto  of  the  Company — "  Fearless  and  Faithful," 
and  immediately  underneath  hangs  a  silver  plate  with  this  inscription  : 

O.  H.  BOOTH,   Foreman,   1844. 
WM.  KAESS,  Chief-Engineer,  1884. 

There  are  also  two  silver  play-pipes  across  the  front  scroll  end  and  two  silver 
rollers  across  the  rear  end,  each  one  fastened  by  a  gold  rosette.  The  rope  reel 
is  of  silver.  On  each  side  is  a  gold  wreath,  and  when  the  rope  is  reeled  up  and 
the  cranks  are  taken  off,  there  will  be  screwed  on  in  their  places  two  gold  tiger 
heads.  The  other  ornaments,  which  are  numerous,  are  all  of  gold. 

From  the  above  description  it  will  be  seen  that  the  whole  make  up  of  the 
Carriage  is  of  the  best  and  most  costly  character,  The  total  cost  of  the  Carriage 
is  $ 3,000,  and  is  the  property  of  Phoenix  Hose  Co.,  No.  i. 


A    NEW    YORK    FIRE    SCENE— 1733. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


27 


§  R 


From  Sheldon's  "  Story  of  ' 


Copyright,  1882,  by 
Harper  &  Brothers. 


GEORGE    W.    WHEELER. 


QN  the  evening  of  October  i3th,  1842, 
w  the  Association  of  Exempt  Firemen 
was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
tecting the  Benevolent  Fund  of  the  Volun- 
teer Fire  Department.  There  having  been, 
even  at  that  early  date,  some  talk  of 
instituting  a  paid  Fire  Department,  the 
Volunteer  Firemen  were  naturally  anxious 
about  the  future  of  the  Fund  which  their 
charitable  energies  had  provided  for  the 
widows  and  orphans.  The  meeting  was 
held  at  Monroe  Hall,  at  the  corner  of 
Centre  and  Pearl  Streets,  and  Mr.  Edward 
Dayton  was  called  to  the  chair  and 
Mr.  Neil  Gray  appointed  Secretary. 

On  motion,  Ex-Chief-Engineer  Uzziah 
Wenman  was  made  President,  Ex-Chief- 
Engineer  James  Gulick,  First  Vice-Presi- 
dent,  Ex-Chief-Engineer  John  Riker,  Jr., 
Second  Vice-President,  and  Mr.  Neil 
Gray  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 


28  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

On  the  i3th  day  of  October,  1843,  the  organization  changed  its  name  to  "The 
Association  of  Exempt  Firemen  of  the  City  of  New  York,"  whose  object  was  "to 
afford  such  aid  to  the  Fire  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York  as  lies  in 
our  power,  and  also  to  cherish  and  perpetuate  the  kind  feeling  and  social  inter- 
course which  have  heretofore  existed  among  us  as  Firemen."  The  phrase  "Exempt 
Firemen,"  it  was  explained,  meant  that  the  Firemen  had  served  a  sufficient  time 
to  exempt  them  "from  other  public  duties  and  to  entitle  them,  should  occasion 
require,  to  assistance  from  the  funds  of  the  Fire  Department."  Any  Exempt  Fire- 
man might  become  a  member  of  the  Association  by  paying  an  initiation  fee  of 
fifty  cents  and  by  subscribing  to  the  articles.  The  time  for  the  annual  meeting 
was  the  third  Tuesday  in  January;  but  on  the  i3th  of  May,  1844,  it  was  resolved 
to  meet  every  three  months,  viz.:  on  the  third  Tuesday  in  January, .  April,  July 
and  October.  In  1849,  the  initiation  fee  was  increased  to  one  dollar;  it  is  now 
ten  dollars.  In  1851,  Mr.  George  W.  Wheeler,  the  Secretary,  reported  that  the 
total  number  of  members  was  two  hundred  and  ninety.  The  number  now  on  the 
roll  is  nearly  seven  hundred. 

After  the  disbandment  of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  the  Legislature  en- 
acted that  the  President  and  two  Vice-Presidents  of  the  Association  of  Exempt 
Firemen,  together  with  the  Trustees  of  the  Fire  Department  Fund,  should  consti- 
tute a  body  corporate  and  politic  by  the  name  and  style  of  "The  Trustees  of 
the  Exempt  Firemen's  Benevolent  Fund  of  the  City  of  New  York,"  and  that  this 
body  should  have  charge  of  that  Fund  and  also  of  the  Firemen's  Monument  and 
ground  at  Greenwood  Cemetery.  It  was  further  enacted  that  the  Association  of 
Exempt  Firemen  "shall  have  a  right  to  inquire  into  and  control  the  application 
of  said  Fund  and  revenue,  to  displace  any  Officer  or  Trustee  guilty  of  miscon- 
duct, and  to  elect  others  in  their  stead."  To  these  duties  the  Association  has 
ever  since  addressed  itself. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  29 

OFFICERS    FOR    1887. 
PRESIDENT. 


I  ZOPHAR  MILLS.  *  I 

EDMUND  STEPHENSON,  First  Vice-President.     PETER  MASTERSON,  Second  Vice-President. 
GEO.  W.  WHEELER,  Recording  Secretary.        FRANCIS  HAGADORN,  Financial  Secretary. 

TREASURER. 
ANTHONY  C.  D'OZEVILLE. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

JOSEPH  D.  COSTA,  ROBERT  C.  ARMSTRONG, 

ELISHA  KINGSLAND,  HUGH  CURRY, 

DANIEL  MOONEY,  CHRIS.  JOHNSON, 

ROBERT  I.  LOMAS,  WILLIAM  B.  DUNLEY, 

JOSEPH  D.  COSTA,  Sergeant-at-Arms. 


TRUSTEES  OF  THE  EXEMPT  FIREMEN'S  BENEVOLENT  FUND. 

JOHN  J.  GORMAN,  President.  JOHN  J.  TINDALE,  Secretary. 

ROBERT  C.  ARMSTRONG,  Treasurer.  FREDERICK  A.  RIDABOCK, 

WILLIAM  SWINERTON,  EUGENE  WARD, 

ANTHONY  YEOMAN,  EDWARD  W.  JACOBS, 

RICHARD  EVANS,  Louis  J.  BELLONI,  JR., 

JAMES  Y.  WATKINS,  THOMAS  F.  RILEY, 

JAMES  B.  MINGAY,  GEORGE  KILLING. 

*  Died. 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


Volunteer  Fire  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York  was  disbanded  in 
1865.  During  the  many  years  of  its  existence  as  an  organization,  its 
wonderful  efficiency  was  generally  recognized  and  acknowledged,  and  it 
was  at  once  the  pride  and  boast  of  the  Citizens  of  the  Metropolis.  His- 
torians have  recorded  the  self-sacrificing  endeavors,  the  heroic  deeds,  the 
hair-breadth  escapes,  and  in  many  cases  the  deeds  of  valor  performed 
by  the  members,  while  Poets  have  sung  of  their  glorious  achievements,  and, 
when  the  sad  occasion  required,  have  woven  Poetic  wreaths  to  the  memory  of  the 
gallant  and  illustrious  dead. 

At  an  early  date  in  the  history  of  the  Department  (1792)  it  was  found  neces- 
sary that  some  provision  should  be  made  to  care  for  the  sick  and  disabled  fire- 
men, as  well  as  to  provide  for  the  comfort  of  the  widow  and  orphan  of  deceased 
members,  to  this  end  a  Fund  was  established,  known  as  the  "  Fire  Department 
Fund,"  which  was  incorporated  March  2oth,  1798,  and  placed  under  the  control  of 
Trustees  to  carry  out  the  object  for  which  it  was  created.  For  a  number  of  years 
the  demands  upon  the  Fund  were  few  and  far  between,  but,  as  the  years  rolled  on, 
and  the  calls  became  more  frequent,  it  became  apparent  that  some  other  means 
must  be  adopted  that  would  materially  augment  the  income  of  the  Fund  and 
enable  the  Trustees  to  meet  the  increased  demand  upon  their  finances.  The  out- 
come of  this  was  the  organization  of  the  "  Firemen's  Ball  Committee." 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  31 

In  the  year  1829,  a  number  of  gentlemen,  prominent  as  citizens  and  connected 
with  the  Fire  Department,  deeply  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  increasing  the 
revenue  of  the  Fund,  after  many  meetings  and  much  deliberation,  organized  them- 
selves into  an  Association,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  an  Annual  Ball,  the  proceeds 
of  which  should  be  turned  over  to  the  Fund ;  their  aims  and  objects  are  best 
set  forth  by  the  publication  of  the  following  Preamble  which  they  adopted  : 

"WHEREAS,  The  Fire  Department  Fund  was  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  afford- 
ing relief  to  such  members  of  the  Fire  Department  as  may  stand  in  need  of 
assistance,  and  to  alleviate  the  wants  and  distresses  of  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  deceased  Firemen  ;  and 

"WHEREAS,  The  ordinary  receipts  of  the  Fund  have  been  found  to  be  insuf- 
ficient to  meet  the  increasing  demands  upon  it,  a  number  of  individuals,  impelled 
by  feelings  of  philanthropy  and  benevolence,  having  formed  themselves  into  a 
Committee  for  the  purpose  of  giving  an  Annual  Ball,  and  with  the  view  of  per- 
petuating it,  and  for  the  better  government  of  the  Committee,  the  present  members 
have  deemed  it  advisable  to  form  the  following  code  of  By-Laws  :  " 

At  this  period,  many  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  New  York  who  were 
connected  with  the  Department,  were  most  active  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty,  and 
foremost  in  every  work  of  benevolence.  The  originators  of  this  Committee  were 
of  this  class  of  citizens.  They  took  hold  of  the  matter  with  the  determination 
that  it  should  be  a  success,  and  a  success  it  was  from  the  inception.  Their  first 
Ball  was  given  at  the  Bowery  Theater,  in  January,  1830,  and  was  to  a  great  extent 
experimental.  The  price  of  tickets  was  fixed  at  two  dollars,  and  the  net  proceeds 
were  $199.20.  Encouraged  by  their  first  experiment,  the  Committee  redoubled  their 
efforts  (increasing  the  price  of  tickets  to  five  dollars)  and  were  gratified  to 
find  their  labors  appreciated.  The  Balls  were  patronized  and  attended  by  the 
wealth,  beauty  and  fashion  of  city  and  suburbs.  No  public  balls  given  at  this 
date  can  in  any  way  be  brought  in  favorable  comparison  with  them.  The  de- 
mand for  tickets  increased  with  each  year,  and  as  the  number  was  always 
limited,  it  was  frequently  the  case  that  none  were  to  be  obtained  on  the  day  of 
the  Ball,  and  as  high  a  premium  as  twenty-five  dollars  has  been  offered  for  them. 

The  continued  and  unvarying  success  of  the  Balls  was  due,  to  a  great  extent, 
to  the  care  exercised  by  the  Committee  in  the  prevention  of  the  admission  of  im- 
proper characters  to  the  building  upon  the  occasion  of  a  Ball.  Each  member 
was  compelled  to  keep  a  list  of  the  names  of  parties  to  whom  tickets  were  sold, 
and  in  this  manner  became,  to  some  extent,  personally  responsible  for  the  standing 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


and  character  of  his  own  friends,  as  well  as  those  who  accompanied  them.  A 
strict  surveillance  was  observed  by  the  Police  Committee,  and  in  the  event  of  the 
introduction  of  a  person  of  questionable  repute  her  escort  was  at  once  directed  to 
remove  her  from  the  building.  It  is  needless  to  add,  that  this  order  was  immedi- 
ately complied  with  in  all  such. cases;  though,  fortunately,  there  were  but  few.  The 
further  penalty  was  attached  to  the  offending  party  of  prohibiting  him  from  ever 
thereafter  participating  in  the  pleasures  of  a  Firemen's  Ball. 

As  previously  stated,  the  First  Annual  Ball  was  given  at  the  Bowery  Theater, 
and  the  price  of  tickets  were  two  dollars,  admitting  a  gentlemen  and  ladies.  This 
Ball  was  experimental,  and  the  Committee  gained  wisdom  by  experience.  They 
increased  the  price  of  tickets  to  five  dollars,  and  successively  engaged  the  Park 

Theater  (then  on  Park  Row),  the  National  Theater, 
Astor  Place  Opera  House,  Niblo's,  and  the  Academy 
of  Music.  The  success  of  the  Balls  continued  un- 
abated until  some  years  after  the  disbandment  of 
the  Department.  For  this  success  the  members  of 
the  Committee  labored  with  unflagging  zeal.  To 
them  it  was  indeed  a  labor  of  love ;  the  object 
was  one  dear  to  their  hearts,  and  they  threw  their 
souls  into  their  work  in  the  fond  endeavor  to  make 
each  recurring  Ball  a  greater  success  than  its  pre- 
decessor. Their  wishes  could  not  always  be  gratified, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  financial  statement  below. 
The  first  three  years  of  the  late  War  militated 
against  them,  but  when  the  last  vestige  of  the 
unpleasantness  had  passed  away,  they  made  a 
renewed  and  determined  effort,  and,  in  1868, 
succeeded  in  increasing  the  net  proceeds  to  the 
magnificent  sum  of  $6,244.08.  The  brilliant  success 
of  the  39th  Annual  Ball  will  live  long  in  the  memory 
of  those  who  were  members  of  the  Committee  at 
that  time.  It  was  the  first  year  of  the  Presidency 
of  Mr.  James  F.  Wenman,  and  the  Treasurership  of  Mr.  Alonzo  Slote,  and  the  indi- 
vidual celebration  of  the  event  by  the  latter  gentleman  will  ever  be  a  pleasing 
reminiscence  to  those  who  were  the  partakers  of  his  bounteous  hospitality. 

The   last   Ball    of    the   very   successful    series   was    given   in    1873,   and   was   ^n 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


33 


every  way,  except  possibly  in  point  of  numbers  present,  worthy  of  its  predeces- 
sors, and  was  a  brilliant  termination  to  the  labors  of  the  Committee,  who  had  by 
this  time  decided  that  it  was  advisable,  for  various  reasons,  to  discontinue  the  Balls 
and  retire  upon  their  laurels.  It  might  be  well  to  note  here  that  from  the  com- 
mencement to  the  close,  the  members  invariably  paid  for  their  own  tickets  of 
admission.  The  only  invitations  extended  by  the  Committee  were  to  Gen.  Win- 
field  Scott,  and  David  T.  Valentine,  for  many  years  Clerk  of  the  Common  Council, 
except  in  the  cases  of  Mr.  Chas.  Dickens,  who  was  invited  to  attend  the  i3th, 
and  Prince  Arthur,  of  England,  who  was  invited  to  attend  the  4ist  Annual  Ball. 

The  following  exhibit  will  show  the  net  proceeds  of  each  Ball,  from   1830  to  1873  : 


YEAR 

AMOUNT. 

YEAR. 

- 

AMOUNT. 

YEAR. 

AMOUNT. 

1830 

$    199    20 

1844 

Si,  376  37 

1859 

$4-924   37 

l83I 

824    15 

1845 

I,7I9  65 

1860 

2,411  77 

1832 

631  35 

1846 

2,013  T4                        !86i 

2,792  30 

1833 

1,001  97 

1847 

i,  880  40                        1862 

3,274  30 

1*34 

1,100  33 

1848 

2,156  17 

1863 

5-275  i3 

1835 

1,286  24 

1849 

2.338  04 

1864 

5,824  67 

1836 

M35  19 

1850 

2,993  93 

1865 

5-9"  13 

1837 

Ryker.    1,311   19 

I85I 

3,349  38                        1866 

5,636  84 

1837 

Gul'ck.    1,208  91 

I852 

3,  031  °9 

1867 

5,372  83 

1838 

1,346  62 

1853 

3,385  82 

1868 

6,244  °8 

1839 

1,911   98 

1854 

3,839  05 

1869 

5,466  61 

iJ<40 

1,363  82 

1855 

3.956  34 

1870 

3,298  42 

1841 

1,184  63 

l856 

4,955  69 

1871 

3-3oi  88 

1842 

1-274  55 

l857 

5-399  3i 

1872 

1,000   00 

1843 

1,275  43 

1858 

4,744  10 

1873 

1,000   00 

Making  a  grand  total  of  $125,928.37  contributed  to  the  Benevolent  Fund  of  the  Fire  Department,  through 
the  medium  of  this  Committee. 


34  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

In  the  Fall  of  1878,  the  Southern  portion  of  our  country  was  ravaged  by  that 
fearful  scourge — Yellow  Fever.  Commerce  was  paralyzed,  business  was  entirely 
suspended,  and  desolation  stalked  throughout  the  land.  The  demands  for  financial 
aid  were  constant  and  pressing.  The  > North  gave  liberally  of  its  treasure;  but 
the  cry  was  still  for  more !  Nor  was  the  cry  unheeded :  Charity  sounded  the 
alarm,  and  the  Ball  Committee  promptly  responded  to  the  call,  with  their  old 
time  fervor.  Within  a  few  days  they  completed  preparations  for  a  monster  Concert 
for  the  Benefit  of  the  Sufferers.  Musical  talent  of  the  highest  order  was  placed 
at  their  disposal ;  the  services  of  eminent  Artists  were  secured,  and  Madison 
Square  Garden  was  rented  for  the  occasion.  Again  did  success  crown  their 
efforts.  The  large  Garden  was  filled  to  overflowing,  fully  eight  thousand  persons 
being  present,  and  the  handsome  sum  of  $5,462  realized,  which  was  distributed 
among  the  several  cities  where  it  was  considered  aid  was  most  needed.  The 
acknowledgment  from  the  officials  of  these  cities  was  most  gratifying  to  the 
Committee,  and  fully  repaid  them  for  their  efforts  and  labor.  Subsequently, 
a  Resolution  was  adopted  thanking  the  Artists  and  others  for  their  services 
in  promoting  the  success  of  the  Concert — though  aware  that  each  and  every 
one  will  find  greater  reward  in  the  knowledge  that  their  charitable  act  will 
carry  comfort  to  many  a  sorrowing  home,  and  always  remembering  that — 

"  No  radiant  pearl  that  crested  fortune  wears, 
Nor  twinkling  gem  that  hangs  from  beauty's  ears; 
Not  all  the  stars  that  night's  blue  arch  adorn, 
Nor  e'en  the  rising  sun  that  gilds  the  vernal  morn, 
Shines  with  such  luster  as  does  the  tear  that  flows 
Down  virtue's  manly  cheek  for  others  woes." 

This  was  the  last  public  entertainment  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  Com- 
mittee. The  organization  is,  however,  still  continued,  and  its  festivities  are 
confined  to  an  Excursion  in  the  Summer,  and  a  grand  Dinner  on  the  i6th  of 
December,  the  Anniversary  of  the  great  fire  of  1835,  holding  themselves,  however,  in 
readiness,  should  circumstances  warrant  or  occasion  require  their  services,  to  renew 
the  successes  of  their  earlier  days.  The  Committee  elects  no  new  members  ;  it  pro- 
poses to  have  its  annual  festivities  so  long  as  there  are  two  members  left. 

The  records  of  the  Committee  are  rich  in  the  names  of  the  many  prominent 
and  well  known  citizens  who  have  been  active  in  its  Councils  during  the  58  years 
of  its  existence.  As  Presidents,  they  have  had  the  valuable  services  of  Uzziah 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


35 


Wen  man,  Chief-Engineer  of  the  Department,  and  father  of  the  present  President, 
of  James  Gulick,  also  Chief-Engineer,  and  a  general  favorite,  of  Cornelius  V. 
Anderson,  Chief-Engineer  and  President  of  the  Lorillard  Insurance  Company,  of  Henry 
A.  Burr,  a  distinguished  New  York  Merchant,  of  C.  Godfrey  Gunther,  Merchant, 
•Governor  of  the  Almshouse  and  Mayor  of  the  City,  and  of  James  F.  Wenman, 
Assistant-Engineer,  President  of  the  Cotton  Exchange,  and  President  of  the 
Department  of  Parks. 


\\ 


•LET    HER    GO." 


THE    VETERANS   TRIP 


From  Sheldou'8  •'  Story  of  Voluiiiw  Fire  IJepartu.eui.  Uopyngut,  iw*.  by  Harper  &  Brothers. 

FIREMEN'S  MONUMENT,  GREENWOOD  CEMETERY. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


37 


Greenwood  Cemetery,  far-famed  city  of  the  dead,  there  rises  from  the 
crest  of  Summit  Hill  a  shaft  of  purest  marble,  surmounted  by  the  figure 
of  a  Fireman  in  full  uniform  and  in  characteristic  attitude. 

On  his  strong  left  arm  reposes  the   unconscious   form   of    a  little  child 
which   he   has    just    rescued    from   a   burning    building.     His   right    hand, 
outstretched    and   holding   a   trumpet   reversed,  directs    his   companions   to 
new    fields    of    effort   in   their    tireless   struggle   with    the    raging   conflagration,    while 
his    entire   frame   thrillingly  expresses   the   tireless   energy   of    the   Volunteer. 

This  statue  represents  the  successful  strife  of  the  New  York  Volunteer  Fire- 
men to  save  life  and  property  menaced  by  the  voracious  element.  But  not  always 
was  this  the  result.  Under  the  sod,  beneath  this  heroic  emblem,  lie,  awaiting  the 
last  trump,  those  members  of  the  Department  whose  noble  warfare  with  the  flames 
terminated  in  the  silence,  but  not  the  oblivion,  of  death.  Above  their  mangled 


£88196 


38  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

forms  their  mourning  brother  members  have  reared  this  monument  to  perpetuate 
the  record  of  their  daring  deeds  and  the  last  act  of  self-sacrifice  that  sent  them 
to  untimely  graves.  Their  names  are  inscribed  on  the  mute  yet  eloquent  stone, 
and  their  memory  is  tenderly  cherished  by  those  who  shared  their  toils  and  dangers. 

The  lots  upon  which  the  memorial  stands  were  purchased  for  the  burial  of  En- 
gineer George  Kerr  and  Henry  Fargis,  Assistant  Foreman  of  Southwark  Engine  Co- 
38,  who  were  killed  at  the  fire  in  Duane  Street,  New  York,  April  2d,  1848.  The  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  Department  to  take  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  monument 
consisted  of  the  following  gentlemen,  all  distinguished  members  of  the  Fire  De- 
partment, viz. :  Cornelius  V.  Anderson,  George  A.  Buckingham,  Lawrence  Turnure, 
George  W.  Littell,  John  K.  Bowen,  Warren  Bliven,  James  W.  Barker.  Furman  Nee- 
fus,  John  A.  Cregier  and  Charles  McDougall. 

The  celebrated  sculptor  Robert  E.  Launitz  was  selected  to  design  and  build 
the  monument  and  the  result  shows  the  wisdom  of  the  choice.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  conceive  a  more  chaste  and  appropriate  memento.  The  white  marble 
shaft  with  its  pedestal  stands  23  feet  10  inches  in  hight.  The  statue  is  4  feet  8 
inches  high.  The  shaft  consists  of  three  blocks  on  which  are  carved,  in  high 
relief,  festoons  of  oak  leaves — emblematic  of  strength  and  endurance.  The  pedestal 
is  of  symbolic  design.  The  base  block  bears  the  Coat  of  arms  of  the  City  of  New 
York  ;  the  pilasters  are  adorned  with  tastefully  grouped  hydrants,  hose,  hooks  and 
ladders.  Above  the  cornice  is  a  cushion  on  which  rest  two  Speaking  Trumpets 
and  a  Fireman's  Cap  wreathed  with  oak  leaves,  to  indicate  the  saving  of  a  life  by 
the  wearer.  Each  corner  of  the  cornice  bears  torches  embellished  with  water  lilies. 

The  railing  surrounding  the  enclosure  is  of  elaborate  professional  design.  Hy- 
drants surmounted  by  urns  take  the  place  of  posts,  while  the  gate  is  formed  by 
hose  pipes  crossed  by  a  hook,  a  ladder,  a  torch,  an  axe,  a  trumpet,  and  a  "tor- 
mentor," bound  together  by  the  rope,  and  encircled  by  a  wreath  of  laurel  leaves- 
Over  the  gate  is  a  scroll  inscribed  with  the  words  "New  York  Fire  Department, 
Incorporated  A.  D.  1798,"  and  above  the  scroll  is  a  bell. 

Within  the  enclosure,  which  is  50  feet  in  diameter,  there  are  18  mounds  placed 
in  crescent  form,  singularly  in  harmony  with  Crescent  Dell,  which,  with  its  em- 
bosomed lake,  lies  directly  beneath  the  monument.  It  was  not  possible  to  secure 
the  bodies  of  all  the  Firemen  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  execution  of  their  duty, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  time  had  in  many  instances  destroyed  the  identity  of  their 
burial  places.  The  record  that  appears  on  the  shaft  is  here  given: 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


39 


WILLIAM  PETERSON 
DAVID   W.   RAYMER 
FRANCIS  JOSEPH 
CORNELIUS  GARRISON 
NATHANIEL   BROWN 
JAMES  HEDGES 
JOHN  KNAPP   . 
EUGENE  UNDERBILL 
FREDERICK  WARD    . 
RICHARD  S.  RITCHIE 
THOMAS  STORTON    . 
JOHN  BUCKLOH 
JAMES  S.  WELLS     . 
JAMES  GLASGOW      .         . 
AUGUSTUS  COWDREY 
GEORGE  KERR 
HENRY  FARGIS 
CHARLES  J.    DURANT 
JOHN  L.   GUYRE 
ARTHUR  J.  EVANS  . 
GEORGE    W.    TRENCHARD 
JOHN  S.  CARMAN     . 
MICHAEL  O'BRIEN  . 
ANDREW  G.  SCHENCK 
JOHN  A.  KEYSER 
ALEXANDER  McKAY 
DANIEL  McKAY 
JAMES  McNuLTY     . 


Foreman  Engine  Co.  No.  15,  May  19,  1811. 

Engine  Co.  No.  40,  March  8,  1827. 

Ass't  Foreman  Engine  Co.  No.  i,  March  8,  1827. 

Engine  Co.  No.  32,  July  5,  1832. 

Engine  Co.  No.  42,  September  25,  1832. 

Engine  Co.  No.  12,  September  25,  1832. 

Engine  Co.  No.  32,  March  6,  1834. 

Engine  Co.  No.  13,  July  i,  1834. 

Engine  Co.  No.  13,  July  i,  1834. 

Engine  Co.  No.  6,  May  26,  1836. 

Hose  Co.  No.  13,  June  3,  1837. 

Engine  Co.  No.  19,  February  6,  1838. 

Engineer,  April  15,  1840. 

Hose  Co.  No.  15,  April  15,  1840. 

Engine  Co.  No.  42,  July  19,  1845. 

Engineer,  April  2,  1848. 

Ass't  Foreman  Engine  Co.  No.  38,  April  2,  1848. 

Hose  Co.  No.  35,  April  2,  1848. 

Engine  Co.  No.  14,  April  24,  1850. 

Hose  Co.  No.  14,  September  25,  1852. 

Hose  Co.  No.  16,  June  2,  1853. 

Engine  Co.  No.  5,  October  30,  1853. 

Hook  and  Ladder  Co.  No.  u,  October  30,  1853. 

Hook  and  Ladder  Co.  No.  i,  April  25,  1854. 

Hose  Co.  No.  8,  April  25,  1854. 

Engine  Co.  No.  21,  April  25,  1854. 

Engine  Co.  No.  21,  April  25,  1854. 


Engine  Co.  No.  20,  April  25,  1854. 

The  names  of  those  killed  between  the  years  1854  and  the  disbandment  of 
the  Department  in  1865  have  yet  to  be  added  to  the  above  roll.  The  names  also 
of  the  large  number  of  Firemen  whose  families  or  friends  preferred  to  bury  them 
in  their  private  plots,  were  not  placed  on  the  shaft. 

The   following    is   the    dedicatory   inscription  : 

"THE    FIRE    DEPARTMENT    OF    THE    CITY    OF    NEW    YORK    HAVE   CAUSED    THIS 

MONUMENT    TO    BE    ERECTED    IN    MEMORY    OF    THEIR    COMPANIONS, 

WHO    PERISHED    IN    DISCHARGE    OF    THEIR    DUTY." 

A.  D.  1848. 


40 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


The  location  of  the  monument  is  a  fine  one.  It  looks  upon  New  York's  un- 
rivalled bay  and  is  very  easy  of  access  from  the  southern  gate.  Outside  the 
enclosure,  and  flanking  it,  are  individual  memorial  stones  to  Engineer  Kerr  and 
Ass't  Foreman  Fargis.  Opposite,  across  the  pathway,  is  the  family  plot  of  John 
L.  Guyre,  containing  a  handsome  memorial.  The  beautiful  and  costly  monument 
erected  by  Harry  Howard,  in  memory  of  his  foster  mother,  also  faces  it,  while  in 
the  rear  the  stately  column  that  lifts  its  urn-crowned  head  above  all  that  is  mor- 
tal of  George  Steers,  the  great  ship-builder  who  built  the  yacht  America  and  U. 
S.  S.  Niagara,  tells  a  tale  of  mournful,  unexpected  death.  Near  by  is  the  handsome 
tribute  of  the  Excelsior  Base  Ball  Club  of  Brooklyn  to  "Jim"  Creighton,  one  of 
the  first  of  the  "lightning"  pitchers,  who  was  cut  off  suddenly  in  1862  in  the 
prime  of  his  early  manhood.  The  plot  surrounding  the  Firemen's  Monument  is 
carefully  tended  and  to-day  summer  flowers  bloom  above  the  graves  and  sweetly 
perfume  the  breeze  which  sadly  sweeps  through  Greenwood's  leafy  shade. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


4, 


N  view  of  the  active  and  faithful  services  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen  in  the 
protection  of  life  and  property  in  the  City  of  New  York,  it  would  seem 
to  be  unnecessary  to  state  that  disabled  and  superannuated  members  of 
the  organization  are  entitled  to  the  same  sympathy  and  care  that  mark 
the  treatment  of  those  wards  of  the  nation — the  maimed  and  decrepit  survivors 
of  the  wars  of  the  Republic.  Both  these  classes  of  men  imperilled  their  health 
and  lives  in  the  interests  of  their  fellows,  and  both  suffer  from  their  devotion  to 
duty,  in  constitutions  impaired  by  disease,  or  in  the  loss  of  limbs  laid  as  a 
sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  the  Commonwealth.  Yet  while  the  General  Government 
has  hastened  to  provide  homes  where  the  veteran  soldier  might  find  the  protec- 
tion due  to  his  service  to  his  country,  no  action  has  ever  been  taken  by  the 
municipality  of  New  York,  looking  to  the  care  of  the  worthy  Veteran  Volunteer 
Firemen,  who  in  too  many  instances  have  been  left  to  nurse,  as  best  they  might, 
the  wounds  and  diseases  incurred  by  their  labors  for  the  welfare  of  the  City  of 
their  birth  or  adoption.  This  anomaly  has  been  keenly  felt  for  years  by  the 
Fireman  and  his  friends,  and  projects,  so  far  abortive,  have  been  devised  to  en- 
list the  aid  of  the  authorities  in  establishing  a  Home  for  the  deserving  members 
of  the  force  or  to  secure  that  praiseworthy  object  by  private  contributions.  It 


42  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

remained  for  Mr.  George  W.  Anderson,  President  of  the  Veteran  Firemen's  Asso- 
ciation, who  had  long  had  this  matter  at  heart,  to  take  a  decisive  step  toward 
the  establishment  of  the  institution  in  question.  This  gentleman  has  secured  the 
refusal  of  a  desirable  piece  of  property  at  Huguenot,  on  the  south  shore  of  Sta- 
ten  Island,  a  beautiful  location  fronting  on  Prince's  Bay,  and  there  is  now  every 
hope  that,  with  the  cheerful  co-operation  of  his  fellow  members,  a  suitable  place 
of  refuge  will  shortly  be  provided  for  every  meritorious  Veteran  and  that  the  spec- 
tacle of  a  former  member  of  the  New  York  Volunteer  Fire  Department  wandering 
helpless  through  the  streets  of  the  great  metropolis  will  no  longer  pain  the  gaze 
of  his  sympathetic  comrades.  It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  refer  briefly  to  the 
hardships  endured  by  the  Volunteer  Firemen,  in  order  to  bring  out  in  clear  relief 
the  necessity  and  justice  exhibited  in  founding  the  "Veteran  Firemen's  Home  As- 
sociation of  the  City  of  New  York,"  under  which  title  the  institution  for  the 
care  of  the  Veterans  is  to  be  known.  The  trials  and  vicissitudes  of  the  Veterans 
are  well  known  to  and  appreciated  by  the  generation  that  knew  them,  but  to 
those  citizens  who  have  come  upon  the  active  scene  of  life  since  the  disband- 
ment  of  the  Volunteer  Department,  the  old  system  is  little  more  than  a  tradition. 
The  motto  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen  was  "  Semper  Para/us."  They  were  always 
on  duty.  Day  and  night,  in  Winter's  storm  or  Summer's  heat,  they  ever  stood 
ready  for  a  call.  Often  and  often  did  they  turn  into  the  bunks  at  the  various 
engine  houses,  too  wearied  to  go  to  their  homes  after  long  hours  spent  in  struggling 
for  the  mastery  of  the  fiery  element,  under  such  trying  circumstances  that  it  is 
a  marvel  flesh  and  blood  could  stand  it ;  and  ere  slumber  could  enfold  their 
tired  frames,  again  would  the  brazen-tongued  bell  summon  them  to  renewed  efforts 
with  the  dread  destroyer.  Drenched  in  Winter  with  spray  from  the  hose  or  a 
carelessly  held  pipe,  or  with  rain  that  froze  as  it  fell,  or  in  Summer  steaming  with 
the  sweat  brought  out  by  the  blazing  sun  or  the  caloric  of  the  burning  buildings, 
poisoned  with  the  fumes  of  deadly  chemicals,  is  it  a  wonder  that  disease  often 
racked  their  frames  and  laid  the  foundation  for  permanent  disability  ?  No !  must 
be  the  emphatic  answer  from  every  candid  person.  The  long  and  heavy  drag  of 
the  apparatuses  was  alone  sufficient  to  exhaust  the  Firemen  before  the  scene  of 
their  labors  was  reached.  They  were  frequently  handicapped  by  deficient  appur- 
tenances ;  a  disadvantage  not  readily  appreciated  by  those  whose  ideas  of  the 
service  are  formed  entirely  from  the  highly  improved  appliances  of  the  present  day. 
In  short,  all  the  surrounding  circumstances  combined  to  make  the  life  of  the  Vol- 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  43 

unteer  Fireman  one  of  the  severest  in  the  whole  sphere  of  human  endeavor.  There 
shall  then,  be  no  delay  in  the  establishment  of  a  Home  where  the  disabled 
Veteran  shall  find  the  care  and  comfort  his  arduous  and  perilous  duties  have  justly 
earned  for  him. 


HOME    FOR    AGED    AND    INFIRM   VOLUNTEER    FIREMEN, 

AT   HUGUENOT,    STATEN    ISLAND,    N.    Y. 


44 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


RIREMEN'S  POME 


THE  UNDERSIGNED,  GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  JOHN  MOLLER,  BERNARD  M.  SWEENY,  JAMES 
H.  HARTLEY,  JAMES  F.  WENMAN,  FREDERICK  A.  RIDABOCK,  EUGENE  WARD,  ABRAHAM 
SLAIGHT,  ABRAM  C.  HULL,  RICHARD  EVANS,  DANIEL  GARVEY,  THOMAS  CLEARY,  HENRY 
GUNTHER,  WILLIAM  ORFORO,  THOMAS  BARRETT,  JOHN  MCCAULEY,  PETER  P.  PUI.LIS,  TIM- 
OTHY DONOVAN,  ROBERT  MCWHINNEY,  RICHARD  H.  NUGENT,  GEORGE  T.  PATTERSON,  WILLIAM  H. 
BOYD,  WILLIAM  BRANDON,  DANIEL  D.  CONOVER  and  HENRY  JONES,  all  citizens  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  do  hereby  certify  that  we  desire  to  form  a  society  for  the  purpose  hereinafter  mentioned, 
in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  entitled 
"An  Act  for  the  Incorporation  of  Societies  or  Clubs  for  certain  lawful  pitrposes,"  passed  May  I2th, 
1875,  and  amendments  thereto,  and  do  hereby  declare: 

First.  The  name  the  said  society  is  to  be  known  by  is  "THE  VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  HOME 
ASSOCIATION  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK." 

Second.  The  particular  nature  and  object  for  which  the  said  Society  is  formed  is  to  provide 
and  maintain  a  Home  for  aged,  infirm,  invalid  and  indigent  members  of  the  late  Volunteer 
Fire  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York,  so  that  those  members  of  the  late  Volunteer  Fire 
Department  of  the  City  of  New  York,  who,  by  reason  of  adversity  or  force  of  circumstances, 
are,  or  become,  so  situated  that  they  cannot,  or  shall  not,  be  able  to  provide  for  themselves  in 
their  declining  years,  may  be  cared  for,  taken  charge  of,  and  their  last  days  made  comfortable 
by  their  former  comrades  in  the  dangers  and  risks  of  the  duties  incident  to  membership  in  the 
old  Volunteer  Fire  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York.  And  further,  for  the  mutual  benefit 
of  the  members  of  this  Association. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  45 

Third.  The  number  of  Directors  or  Managers  of  the  said  Society  shall  be  seven,  and  the 
names  of  said  Directors  or  Managers  who  are  to  manage  the  concerns  of  the  Society  for  the 
first  year  are  GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  JOHN  MOLLER,  JAMES  F.  WENMAN,  HENRY  GUNTHER,  GEORGE 
T.  PATTERSON,  DANIEL  D.  CONOVER  and  WILLIAM  H.  BOYD. 

Fourth.     The   duration   of  said   Society   is   to   be   for   the   term   of  fifty  years. 

IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  we  have  hereunto  affixed  our  hands  and  seals  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  March,  A.D.,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  eighty-six. 

GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON.  WILLIAM  ORFORD. 

JOHN  MOLLER.  THOMAS  BARRETT. 

BERNARD  M.  SWEENY.  JOHN  McCAULEY. 

JAMES  H.  BARTLEY.  PETER  P.  PULLIS. 

JAMES  F.  WENMAN.  TIMOTHY  DONOVAN. 

FREDERICK  A.  RIDABOCK.  ROBERT  McWHINNEY. 

EUGENE  WARD.  RICHARD  H.  NUGENT. 

ABRAHAM  SLAIGHT.  G.  T.  PATTERSON. 

ABRAM  C.  HULL.  WM.  H.  BOYD. 

RICHARD  EVANS.  WM.  BRANDON. 

DANIEL  GARVEY.  D.  D.  CONOVER.  ******** 

THOMAS  CLEARY.  HENRY  JONES.  *   L.  s.    * 

HENRY  GUNTHER.  ******** 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  ) 

COUNTY  OF  NEW  YORK.  \  SS' 

On  this  twenty-seventh  day  of  March,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-six,  before  me 
personally  appeared,  GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  JOHN  MOLLER,  BERNARD  M.  SWEENY,  JAMES  H.  BARTLEY, 
JAMES  F.  WENMAN.  FREDERICK  A.  RIDABOCK,  EUGENE  WARD,  ABRAHAM  SLAIGHT,  ABRAM  C.  HULL, 
RICHARD  EVANS,  DANIEL  GARVEY,  THOMAS  CLEARY,  HENRY  GUNTHER,  WILLIAM  ORFORD,  THOMAS 
BARRETT,  JOHN  MCCAULEY,  PETER  P.  PULLIS,  TIMOTHY  DONOVAN,  ROBERT  MCWHINNEY,  RICHARD  H. 
NUGENT,  GEORGE  T.  PATTERSON,  WILLIAM  H.  BOYD,  WILLIAM  BRANDON,  DANIEL  D.  CONOVER  and 
HENRY  JONES,  known  to  me  and  to  me  known  to  be  the  individuals  described  in  the  foregoing 
certificate,  and  they  severally  before  me  signed  the  said  certificate,  and  acknowledged  that  they 
signed  the  same,  for  the  purposes  therein  mentioned. 


ALFRED  T.  ACKERT, 

L.  b.     -x- 


Notary   Public,  N.    Y. 


STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,  \ 

CITY  AND  COUNTY  OF  NEW  YORK.  ) 

I,  GEORGE  P.  ANDREWS,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  First  Judicial  Dis- 
trict of  the  State  of  New  York,  do  hereby  certify,  that  I  have  examined  the  Certificate  of 
Incorporation  of  the  Society  designated  as  "  THE  VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  HOME  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE 
CITY  OF  NEW  YORK"  and  the  right  to  establish  or  organize  the  same  under  the  name  and  for 


46  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

the  purposes  therein  mentioned,  under  and  in  pursuance  of  the  Act  entitled,  "An  Act  for  the 
Incorporation  of  Societies  or  Clubs  for  certain  lawful  purposes,"  passed  May  I2th,  1875,  and  amend- 
ments thereto,  and  the  same  meets  my  approbation  and  approval,  and  in  accordance  therewith 
I  make  this  endorsement. 

Dated,    New   York   City,    April    7th,    1886. 

GEORGE  P.  ANDREWS. 
STATE  OF  NEW  YORK.  / 

CITY  AND  COUNTY  OF  NEW  YORK.  \  ss' 

I.  JAMES  A.  FLACK,  Clerk  of  the  said  City  and  County,  and  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
said  State  for  said  County,  do  certify  that  I  have  compared  the  preceding  with  the  original 
Certificate  of  Incorporation  of  '-THE  VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  HOME  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  YORK,"  on  file  in  my  office,  and  that  the  same  is  a  correct  transcript  therefrom,  and  of  the 
whole  of  such  original. 

Endorsed,    filed   and   recorded   7th   April,    1886. 

IN   WITNESS  WHEREOF,   I   have  hereunto  subscribed   my   name  and  affixed   my   official  seal 
this   8th   day   of   May,    1886. 

FSEAL*!  JAMES  A.    FLACK, 

Clerk. 


STATE  OF  NEW  YORK.  i 

OFFICE  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  STATE,  \ SS' 

I  have  compared  the  preceding  with  the  original  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of  "THE  VETE- 
RAN FIREMEN'S  HOME  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,"  with  acknowledgment  thereto 
annexed,  filed  and  recorded  in  this  office  on  the  ninth  day  of  April,  1886,  and  do  hereby  certify 
the  same  to  be  a  correct  transcript  therefrom,  and  of  the  whole  of  said  original. 

WITNESS    my  hand   and   the   seal   of   office   of   the  Secretary  of  State  at  the  City  of  Albany, 
this   ninth   day   of   April,    one   thousand   eight   hundred   and   eighty-six. 

HEAL.*!  FREDERICK   COOK, 

I*****'**  Secretary   of  State. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


47 


ACCOMPANIES    THE 


*  FIREMEN'S  *  ASSOCIATION. 


years  ago  a  stalwart  Italian  youth 
-L  first  beheld  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floating 
from  the  mast-head  of  the  U.  S.  Frigate  "  Con- 
gress" in  the  harbor  of  Genoa.  The  sight  of 
the  flag  of  the  Great  Republic  filled  him 
with  a  longing  to  reach  the  land  which  his 
Genoese  compatriot,  Columbus,  had  given  to 
the  world  three  and  a  half  centuries  before. 
That  sturdy  Italian  boy,  who  had  just  turned 
his  2ist  year,  was  Carlo  Cappa,  the  present 
Bandmaster  of  the  leading  regiment  of  the  Na- 
tional Guard  in  the  United  States — the  famous 
New  York  Seventh.  Young  Cappa  was  born 
in  1834,  at  Allessan.dria,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Sar- 
dinia. His  father  was  a  Major  of  the  nth 
Infantry  in  the  Sardinian  Army,  who  followed 
the  Eagles  of  the  Great  Napoleon  in  his 
campaign  against  Russia,  was  wounded 
in  the  retreat  from  Moscow,  and  died  when  his  son  was  only  four  years  old.  At 
ten,  Carlo  entered  the  Royal  Academy  of  Asti,  to  which  only  the  sons  of  soldiers 
are  admitted,  and  remained  five  years,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Band  of  the  Sixth 
Lancers,  and  was  present  at  the  Battle  of  Novara  in  1849.  He  remained  in  the 
army  for  six  years,  during  four  of  which  he  was  the  first  trombone  of  the  band, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  and  made  a  two  years'  cruise  in  the  Frigate 
"Congress,"  during  the  last  six  months  of  which  he  was  leader  of  the  band. 


BANDMASTER    CAPPA. 


48 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


On  the  coming  Birthday  of  Washington,  Cappa  will  celebrate  the  3Oth  anni- 
versary of  his  arrival  in  the  promised  land,  February  22,  1858.  On  his  arrival 
he  joined  Ned  Kendall's  Band,  and  made  a  tour  of  the  principal  American  cities, 
after  which  he  became  a  member  of  Shelton's  celebrated  New  York  Band,  of  which 
Grafulla  was  leader,  and  when  the  latter  became  leader  of  the  yth  Regiment  Band 
in  1860  Cappa  went  with  him,  and  remained  until  Grafulla's  death.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  Cappa  has  served  in  the  yth  Regiment  Band  for  25  years  and  been 
its  leader  since  1881,  so  when  anybody  asks  the  question:  "What's  the  matter 
with  Cappa  ? "  the  Seventh  Regiment  boys  all  chorus  the  answer  in  unison  : 
"  Oh  !  he's  all  right" 

In  1869  Cappa  joined  the  Thomas  Orchestra  as  first  trombone,  and  remained 
with  it  for  seven  years ;  also  played  the  euphonium  with  the  Mapleson  Opera 
for  three  years.  As  Conductor  of  the  Concerts  in  the  Central  Park,  at  Brighton 
Beach,  Coney  Island,  and  at  the  Louisville  Exposition,  Cappa  has  always  given 
satisfaction  to  both  the  promoters  and  public,  a  fact  which  was  signally  illustrated 
in  the  latter  case,  since  he  was  publicly  complimented  by  the  Board  of  Managers, 
decorated  by  the  Festival  Chorus,  and  elected  Conductor  for  the  following  year 
by  a  large  majority  of  the  popular  vote  taken  on  the  last  days  of  the  Exposition. 


MISS    HORTENSE    PIERSE. 


W  1SS  HORTENSE  PIERSE  comes  from  that  region 
fe  so  prolific  of  song  birds — the  West.  It  would 
seem  that  the  region  which  surprises  the  world  \vith 
its  energy,  enterprise  and  wealth,  is  to  be  the  source 
of  our  art  inspiration.  Certainly  some  of  our  most 
gifted  singers  of  both  sexes  have  come  to  us  from 
the  West.  First,  Abbott,  then  Nevada,  and  not  least, 
if  the  last,  Miss  Pierse. 

Miss  Pierse  is  what  is  known  in  musical  parlance 
as  a  dramatic  Soprano,  which  will  develop  into  the 
school  of  Parepa  Rosa,  Materna  and  Nilsson.  She 
has  a  full,  sonorous  and  rich  voice,  of  a  strong  indi- 
viduality, reaching  through  three  octaves,  every  note 
of  which  is  perfect  and  available.  Voices  of 
such  range  and  power  are  exceedingly  rare. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


49 


These  gifts,  combined  with  a  queenly  stateliness  of  person  and  beauty 
of  face,  make  her  a  phenomenal  artist.  Miss  Pierse  began  at  an  early  age  in 
Cincinnati,  under  Mr.  Theodore  Thomas,  at  the  College  of  Music.  She  appeared 
in  concerts  in  Cincinnati,  Chicago  and  Cleveland.  She  has  recently  studied  with 
the  great  teachers,  Maretzek,  Errani  and  Bristol.  She  is  just  out  of  her  teens, 
of  a  commanding  figure,  a  face,  in  its  strong,  beautiful  character,  almost  tragic, 
and  a  blonde  of  the  most  pronounced  style.  She  has  mastered  the  chief  parts  in 
ten  operas,  together  with  the  Oratorios  of  the  "Messiah,"  "Creation,"  and  others, 
and  with  her  concert  repertoire  is  probably  the  best  equipped  of  the  new  school 
singers. 


ROGERS,  the  wonderful  young 
Cornet  Soloist  of  Cappa's  Band,  was  born 
at  Delphi,  Indiana,  Oct.  i4th,  1865.  When  about 
eight  years  old,  his  father,  who  is  a  thorough 
musician,  commenced  teaching  him  the  violin, 
and  his  progress  was  very  rapid.  He  had  been 
playing  the  violin  but  a  short  time  when  he  took 
up  the  cornet,  intending  it  to  be  chiefly  a  pas- 
time. But  almost  from  the  moment  that  he  first 
touched  the  cornet  he  gave  it  a  decided  prefer- 
ence. In  1879,  he  entered  the  College  of  Music 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  studied  both  instruments 
for  about  a  year.  During  the  next  two  years 
he  played  short  engagements  in  different  cities 

WALTER  ROGERS.  throughout  his   native  State.      At  one  of  these   en- 

gagements his  cornet  playing  attracted  the  attention  of  Prof.  Beissenberz,  Musical 
Director  at  one  of  the  theaters  in  Indianapolis.  He  at  once  offered  Rogers  a 
position  in  his  orchestra,  and  the  offer  was  accepted.  The  young  Cornetist  con- 
tinued in  this  position  for  two  years.  In  the  Fall  of  1884,  Cappa's  famous  New 
York  Seventh  Regiment  Band  were  engaged  at  the  Louisville  Exposition.  With  a 
generosity  rarely  shown,  Mr.  Beissenberz,  though  at  a  sacrifice  to  his  own  interests, 
took  Rogers  to  Louisville  and  introduced  him  to  Cappa.  The  famous  leader-  was 
amazed  at  the  wonderful  abilities  of  so  youthful  a  person  and  promised  him  an 


50  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

engagement  the  first  vacancy  that  occurred.  The  following  Spring  Cappa  kept 
his  promise  by  engaging  Rogers  as  his  Cornet  Soloist  at  Brighton  Beach  and 
Central  Park.  His  career  from  that  time  has  been  one  of  continued  success.  In 
Boston,  Louisville,  Quebec,  and  other  places  where  he  has  appeared,  he  has  won 
the  highest  praise  for  his  matchless  playing,  and,  brief  as  his  career  has  been,  he 
is  already  recognized  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  Cornet  Soloists. 


mR.  WILLIAM  LACROIX,  Trombone  Soloist  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  Band,  was 
®  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  the  year  1860.  He  comes  from  one  of 
the  greatest  musical  families  in  New  York.  When,  at  the  age  of  nine,  his  father 
saw  what  a  liking  he  had  for  music,  he  taught  him  the  French  horn,  afterwards 
placed  him  under  Noll,  Weingarten  and  Jacobi  to  study  the  violin,  and  afterwards 
became  a  member  of  Theodore  Thomas'  Orchestra,  also  of  Damrosch's  Orchestra. 
He  studied  harmony  under  W.  G.  Dietrich,  and  now  holds  the  position  of  Chief  de 
Orchestra  under  J.  M.  Lander  of  New  York.  He  is  one  of  the  finest  musicians  in 
New  York,  being  a  thorough  performer  upon  the  following  instruments  :  Violin, 
double  bass,  tympan,  trombone,  baritone  and  tuba.  He  is  also  president  of  the 
Dorsch  Lodge,  one  of  the  largest  musical  societies  in  America 


JOHN  B.  DAUSCH. 


JOHN  B.  DAUSCH,  the  principal  Oboi  of  the  Seventh  Re- 
®*  giment  Band,  was  born  in  Landau,  State  of  Bavaria,  in 
1846.  He  came  to  this  country  at  the  age  of  five  years, 
studied  harmony  and  piano  under  his  father,  and  violin 
under  F.  Hermann,  a  pupil  of  Spohr,  and  oboi  under  Mr. 
Joseph  Eller;  was  a  member  of  Dr.  Damrosch's  Orchestra, 
and  holds  the  position  now  as  ist  oboi  of  the  Peabody 
Institute  of  Baltimore,  and  also  of  the  Philharmonic  Society 
of  the  same  city;  was  one  of  the  ist  violins  of  Colonel 
Mapleson's  Italian  Opera  Company  under  Signor  Arditi's 
direction,  and  ist  oboi  of  the  late  Italian  Opera  Company 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


gIGNOR  GIOAULIMO  NORRITO  was  born  at 
Mazara  del  Vallo,  Italy,  at  which  place  he 
received  a  first-class  musical  education.  His 
father  was  a  very  distinguished  musician  and 
held  in  high  esteem.  He  arrived  in  this  country 
nine  years  ago,  where  he  soon  joined  the  orchestra 
of  the  Italian  Opera,  and  two  years  later  Cappa's 
Seventh  Regiment  Band  as  Piccolo  Solo,  which 
position  he  holds  at  present  and  is  now  performing 
before  large  audiences  at  Brighton  Beach,  Coney 
Island.  He  no  doubt  will  make  himself  very 
popular  with  the  people  of  the  West  who  have  a 
keen  appreciation  of  a  talented  musician.  His 
matchless  performance  upon  the  Piccolo  has  been 

the   wonder   of    the   musicians    of    the   present    day,    and   he   now   ranks   as    one    of 

the   foremost   musicians   in  his   line   in    the   world. 


SIGNOR    GIOAULIMO    NORRITO. 


JOHN  DREWES. 


MR.  JOHN  DREWES,  the  Clarinet  Soloist  of  the 
fe>  Seventh  Regiment  Band,  was  born  at  Han- 
over, where  he  became  the  principal  Clarinet  in 
the  king's  private  band.  He  came  to  America  25 
years  ago,  where  he  at  once  became  a  member 
of  the  New  York  Philharmonic  Society  and  holds 
the  same  position  still.  He  also  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Theodore  Thomas'  Orchestra,  a  position 
he  held  for  15  years.  At  the  same  time  he 
joined  the  Seventh  Regiment  Band  under  Mr. 
Grafulla,  as  his  principal  Clarinet,  and  still  retains 
the  same  position  under  Mr.  Cappa.  Great  offers 
have  been  made  him  to  join  other  bands,  but 
he  could  not  be  induced  to  leave  Mr.  Cappa. 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


BEYER  was  born  in  Erfurt,  Germany,  in  1849. 
From  his  roth  to  xyth  year  he  attended  a  German  Gov- 
ernment school,  to  study  music  under  the  best  teachers. 
After  being  well  educated  he  served  in  the  German  army 
for  nine  years,  during  which  term  he  had  to  participate  in 
the  Franco  German  war.  His  regiment  had  then  been  de- 
signed to  move  to  Hamburg.  Mr.  Beyer  played  in  the  prin- 
cipal orchestras  and  also  took  part  in  the  great  concert  for  the 
benefit  of  a  National  Stage  conducted  by  Richard  Wagner. 
This  great  master  seemed  to  be  delighted  with  military 
music  also,  for  once,  when  the  band  played  a  serenade  in 
his  honor,  he  remarked  that  this  kind  of  music  had  a  great 
future,  as  more  impressive  than  string  music  through  the  combination  of  brass 
with  wind  instruments  ;  he  called  it  a  teacher  of  music  to  the  people  in  general. 
The  Centennial  year  (1876)  brought  Mr.  Beyer  to  America,  where  he  took  the 
conductorship  of  the  "  German  Military  Band,"  which  made  such  immense  success 
during  their  concert  tour  all  over  this  country.  His  position  did  not  satisfy  him, 
however,  any  longer,  and  he  left  them  to  join  the  famous  Seventh  Regiment 
Band  under  the  direction  of  Signer  A.  C.  Cappa. 


CARL  BEYER. 


PROF.  WITTGENSTEIN. 


fROF.  WITTGENSTEIN  was  born  at  Westphalia, 
Germany,  in  the  year  1856,  and  is  consequently 
now  but  thirty  years  of  age.  When  he  was  but 
four  years  of  age  his  parents  left  the  Fatherland 
for  America,  having  read  and  dreamed  of  the 
wonderful  Arcadia  beyond  the  sea  and  being  de- 
sirous of  testing  its  many  boasted  advantages  for 
themselves.  The  -elder  Wittgenstein,  the  head  of 
the  family,  was  a  merchant,  and  immediately  upon 
arriving  in  Louisville — the  family  went  directly 
there — went  into  business.  He  is  now  dead,  but  his 
widow  still  carries  on  the  business.  Out  of  a  large 
family,  Hugo  was  the  only  one  who  displayed  any 
marked  musical  ability.  When  but  four  years  of 
age,  the  aptitude  for  harmonious  sounds  began  to 


719    SAN  FRANCISCO.  53 

display  itself,  and  was  manifested  in  a  hundred  various  ways.  It  was  his  delight 
to  linger  at  musical  festivals,  and  he  would  follow  strolling  minstrels  by  the  hour, 
imitating  them  in  his  childish  way  on  corn-stalk  flutes,  old  keys,  and  everything 
he  could  procure  that  would  produce  a  sound. 

Such  a  remarkable  passion  for  music  did  not  go  unnoticed.  Arrangements 
were  made  to  place  him  under  the  tutorage  of  Prof.  E.  A.  Bornshein,  an  accom- 
plished musician  of  Louisville.  He  made  rapid  strides  in  his  musical  studies, 
and  his  proficiency  in  the  use  of  the  flute  soon  attracted  local  and  then  general 
attention.  His  services  were  in  constant  demand  at  private  entertainments,  and  at 
ten  years  of  age  he  was  found  filling  an  engagement  in  the  old  theater,  which 
at  that  time  stood  on  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Green  Streets. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  Boston  Quintette  Club,  then  a  famous  organ- 
ization, stopped  at  Louisville  while  on  a  professional  tour  to  give  an  entertainment. 
The  leader  of  the  Quintette,  Prof.  Heindl,  himself  a  renowned  flutist,  had  his 
attention  attracted  to  the  precocious  musician,  and  recognizing  in  him  latent 
powers  of  more  than  ordinary  capacity,  made  a  proposition  to  Hugo's  parents  to 
take  him  to  Boston  and  give  him  thorough  instructions  on  the  flute.  The  pro- 
position was  accepted,  and  after  completing  their  tour  the  Club  returned  to  Boston, 
taking  with  them  young  Hugo.  Before  departing,  a  farewell  concert  was  given 
for  the  benefit  of  the  boy  musician,  and  it  was  quite  a  musical  event  for  the  city 
of  Louisville. 

After  remaining  in  that  city  for  five  years,  during  which  time  he  attained 
wonderful  proficiency  in  the  use  of  the  flute,  Hugo  made  a  professional  tour  of  the 
country,  playing  at  the  principal  cities.  Everywhere  his  superior  musical  talent 
was  recognized,  and  he  received  very  flattering  notices  from  the  Press. 

In  1879  he  accepted  a  position,  under  the  famous  Theodore  Thomas,  at  the 
Cincinnati  College  of  Music  as  first  flutist  in  the  orchestra  and  Professor  of  in- 
struction in  flute  music.  When  Theodore  Thomas  retired  from  the  directorship 
of  the  College  Mr.  Wittgenstein  followed  the  fortunes  of  his  leader  and  went  to 
New  York.  So  prominent  at  that  time  was  his  talent  that  a  farewell  concert  was 
also  given  for  his  benefit  in  Cincinnati,  in  which  some  of  the  best  musical  talent 
of  the  company  participated.  After  remaining  in  New  York  a  while,  the  popular 
flutist  identified  himself  with  Mapleson's  Italian  Opera,  with  which  organization  he 
was  connected  for  over  five  years,  and  since  then  has  been  connected  with  Sig. 
Cappa's  Seventh  Regiment  Band. 


54 


THE    VETERANS    TRIP 


Prof.  Wittgenstein's  flute  playing  is  remarkable  for  its  limpid  sweetness  and 
singular  purity.  The  tones  he  produces  are  clear,  well  sustained,  and  true  to  nature 
in  their  bird-like  clearness,  and  in  their  execution  betray  a  delicacy  of  expression  that 
marks  the  presence  of  a  master  performer.  There  is  an  indescribable  something 
in  his  playing  that  appeals  directly  to  the  feelings  of  his  audience,  and  therein 
consists,  in  a  degree,  his  phenomenal  success. 


R.  WILLIAM  GRIFFIN,  Solo  Cornetist  of  the 
7th  Regiment  Band,  was  born  in  Ballin- 
collig,  County  Cork,  Ireland.  He  enlisted  in  the 
British  Army  in  the  Royal  Canadian  Rifles  in  1860 
where  he  came  under  the  tuition  of  Bandmaster 
Carey.  By  hard  practice  and  study  he  got  to  be  the 
ist  Cornet  player  -of  his  Band.  The  Regiment  was 
disbanded  in  1869,  when  he  volunteered  into  the 
y8th  Highlanders,  stationed  at  Halifax,  N.  S.,  where 
he  came  under  Mr.  McEleney,  a  very  fine  cor- 
netist,  brother-in-law  to  the  great  Dan  Godfrey  of 
the  Grenadier  Guards  Band  of  London,  England. 
The  Regiment  being  ordered  to  England  in 
1871,  he  took  his  discharge  and  came  to 
Boston  and  took  part  in  the  great  Jubilee. 
Mr.  M.  Arbuckle  specially  engaged  him  to  fill  his  position  at  the  Globe  Theater, 
under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Koppitz,  while  he  (Arbuckle)  was  traveling  with  the 
Barnaby  Concert  party.  In  1873  Mr.  Henry  Tissington  secured  him  as  Soloist  for 
Union  Square  Theater,  New  York,  where  since  he  has  held  the  first  position  in 
all  the  principal  orchestras.  In  1878  he  joined  Downing's  Qth  Regiment  Band, 
and  was  also  in  the  same  Band  under  Arbuckle's  direction,  and  remained 
with  him  until  he  died.  Then  he  became  a  member  of  Conterno's  Band, 
playing  at  Brighton  Beach,  Coney  Island.  In  1884  Mr.  Cappa  secured  him 
for  the  7th  Regiment  Band  as  his  principal  cornetist,  which  position  he  still 
holds. 


MR.     WILLIAM    GRIFFIN. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


55 


A.  H.  W.  BREMER. 


ALEXANDER    HELGO    WALDEMAR    BREMER 
was      born      in     Copenhagen,     Denmark,     in 
January,   1850. 

The  circumstance  that  Mr.  Cremer's  mother, 
before  her  marriage,  was  Lady's  maid  to  Princess 
Charlotte,  the  mother  of  the  present  Queen  of 
Denmark,  procured  him  an  early  patroness  in  that 
high-born  Lady,  together  with  the  offer  to  take 
charge  of  the  boy's  education  as  he  grew  up. 

Having  early  evinced  a  love  for  music,  young 
Alexander  was  permitted  to  choose  it  as  his  future 
field  of  action,  and  at  nine  years  of  age  was  given 
in  charge  of  the  best  masters  of  the  piano.  His 
last  Instructor  on  that  instrument  was  Prof.  Niels 
W.  Gade,  the  Mendelssohn  of  Scandinavia.  Thus 
at  an  early  age,  young  Bremer  became  an  accomplished  player  on  the  piano  ;  but 
the  young  musician  evincing  a  strong  desire  for  studying  other  instruments,  his 
teachers  advised  the  violin,  which  was  reluctantly  taken  up,  but  soon  laid  aside 
as  not  congenial  to  the  boy's  tastes,  which  ran  in  the  direction  of  a  wind  instru- 
ment. He  now  selected  of  his  own  choice  the  French  Horn,  or  "Waldhorn"  as 
it  is  generally  called  throughout  Europe.  Under  the  tuition  of  Prof.  Wm.  Schneider, 
a  renowned  Waldhorn  player,  rapid  progress  was  made,  and,  at  an  early  day,  the 
young  adept  of  that  difficult  instrument  was  called  to  perform  before  Her  Royal 
Highness,  the  Princess  Charlotte,  and  other  members  of  the  royal  house.  So 
favorable  was  the  impression  made  by  the  young  debutant  on  his  select  auditory, 
that  from  that  time  forth  he  became  quite  a  favorite  with  the  whole  royal  family, 
and  was  made  an  eleve  of  the  "  Chapelle  Royalle,"  being  called  upon  twice  every 
week  to  play  at  Court,  accompanied  by  the  Queen,  a  very  fine  musician  and 
Pianist,  on  which  instrument  the  royal  Lady  instructed  all  her  own  children.  At 
this  period  of  his  career,  the  rare  opportunity  was  afforded  to  young  Bremer  to 
play  almost  exclusively  before  crowned  heads,  having  for  his  hearers  or  accom- 
panists, the  King  and  Queen  of  Denmark,  Princess  Alexandra,  the  present  Princess 
of  Wales,  Princess  Dagmar,  now  Empress  of  Russia,  Princess  Thyra,  now  Duchess 
of  Cumberland,  the  Crown  Prince,  Frederick  of  Denmark,  Prince  George,  now  King 
of  Greece,  Prince  Waldemar,  and  even  the  bethrothed  of  Princess  Dagmar,  Czar  Alex- 


5 6  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

ander  III.  of  this  day.  On  one  occasion,  the  young  artist  had  the  honor  to  play 
a  duet  with  the  present  ruler  of  Russia,  who  is  a  fine  performer  on  the  Cornel-a- 
piston,  but  the  spell  of  this  position  and  its  charming  surroundings  had  to  be 
broken  at  last,  when  the  time  arrived  for  young  Bremer  to  see  the  outside  world 
and  to  begin  the  battle  of  life  on  his  own  account. 

At  the  parting  from  the  country  of  his  birth  and  from  his  earliest  high-born 
protectors,  the  King  presented  Mr.  Bremer  with  a  beautiful  Waldhorn,  coupled  with 
the  gracious  words  :  "At  any  time  on  your  return  to  Denmark,  the  doors  of  our 
Court  will  be  open  to  receive  you." 

Mr.  Bremer  came  directly  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York,  which 
he  has  made  his  home.  Under  such  circumstances,  playing  in  Orchestras,  under 
such  leaders  as  Thomas,  Damrosch,  Arditi,  Gilmore,  and  others,  had  to  be  resorted 
to,  while  Mr.  Bremer's  solo  playing  on  the  Waldhorn  for  a  time  had  been  con- 
fined to  concerts,  the  only  way  in  which  Mr.  Bremer  has  been  able  to  make 
known  the  beauties  and  rare  excellences  of  his  chosen  instrument. 

The  French  Horn  or  Waldhorn  descends  from  the  old  style  hunting  horns  and 
is  the  most  difficult  of  all  the  "  Brasses.'  Very  few,  if  any,  amateurs  are  found 
playing  the  French  Horn,  since  it  requires  not  only  a  very  delicate  embouchure  but 
persistent  and  patient  daily  practice.  It  has  a  soft,  sentimental,  sympathetic  tone, 
far  nobler  than  the  cornet,  and  is  the  nearest  approach  among  all  wind  instru- 
ments to  the  human  voice  ;  especially  adapted  to  interpret  ballads  and  songs, 
which  Mr.  Bremer  has  made  a  specialty.  It  is  more  appropriate  to  indoor  con- 
cert entertainments  than  any  other  brass  instrument,  by  reason  of  its  intrinsic 
quality  of  tone. 

American  audiences  are  accustomed  to  strong  open  air  or  grand  orchestral 
effects,  consequently,  the  delicately,  long  drawn  out  and  refined  tenderness  of  the 
French  Horn  is  scarcely  appreciated  by  them. 


TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


57 


ALBERT  WEBER,  the  great  Pianomaker,  who 
was  one  of  New  York's  most  celebrated 
characters  and  who  died  in  1879,  was  a  Veteran 
Fireman  and  for  many  years  an  efficient  member 
of  Amity  Hose  Co.  No.  38. 

His  portrait,  which  accompanies  this  article, 
shows  at  a  glance  that  he  was  a  man  of  great 
power  and  energy.  He  won  his  way  to  fame 
and  fortune  by  those  qualities  which  are  pre- 
eminently characteristic  of  American  enterprise 
and  American  business  men. 

A  German,  born  in  1828,  he  came  to  this 
country  in  1847.  Being  a  skilled  musician  as 
well  as  a  skilled  pianomaker  he  soon  found 
employment.  His  restless  and  energetic  tem- 
perament, however,  did  not  long  permit  him  to 
remain  in  a  subordinate  capacity,  and  we  find  him,  therefore,  starting  in  business, 


A  Vettran  Fireman,  a 


ALBERT  WEBER. 

and  one  of  New 


5  8  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

though  with  a  very  limited  capital,  in  Walker  Street,  to  manufacture  pianos.  He 
was  the  first  of  all  the  present  great  German  Houses  to  start  in  the  pianoforte 
trade,  and  commenced  operations  some  months  before  his  great  rivals,  Messrs. 
STEINWAY  &  SONS.  His  success  was  almost  instantaneous,  and  whatever  the  indi- 
vidual claims  to  public  consideration  of  the  various  great  American  pianomakers, 
it  was  always  conceded  that  ALBERT  WEBER  was  the  most  popular  of  them  all. 
This  unique  position  he  reached  partly  by  the  great  merits  of  his  instruments, 
partly  by  his  tremendous  "  push,"  partly  because  the  celebrated  personages  of  the 
musical  world  found  his  pianofortes  admirably  adapted  to  accompany  the  voice, 
and  for  solo  concert  purposes,  and  partly  because  he  was  always  foremost  in  his 
support  of  all  worthy  musical  enterprises  in  this  country  and  a  "  hale  fellow  well 
met "  with  everybody. 

It  can  be  said  of  ALBERT  WEBER,  without  any  exaggeration,  that  the  great 
European  singers  and  players  built  up  his  reputation  almost  without  an  effort  on 
his  part.  They  discovered  that  the  tone  of  his  pianofortes  possessed  qualities  not 
to  be  found  in  any  other  make  of  instrument,  and  they  were  not  slow  to  express 
their  appreciation  of  the  fact.  Among  the  archives  of  the  firm  there  is  a  col- 
lection of  autograph  letters  that  would  be  an  acquisition  to  a  museum.  They  are 
the  opinions  of  the  artistic  world  on  the  merits  of  the  Weber  Piano,  and  the  signa- 
tures of  some  of  the  world's  most  famous  singers  and  musicians  are  among  them, 
including  the  world-renowned  prima  donnas,  NILSSON,  LUCCA,  PATTI,  GERSTER,  GARY, 
KELLOGG,  VAN  ZANDT,  PAREPA-ROSA,  ABBOTT,  such  other  t  celebrities  as  CAMPANINI, 
GALASSI,  ARDITI,  MARIO,  BERNHARDT,  STRAKOSCH,  SANTLEY,  BRIGNOLI,  CAPOUL,  and  the 
great  Pianists,  RIVE-KING,  CARRENO,  BOCK,  RAVASZ  and  TOPP. 

No  other  pianos  were  ever  accorded  such  spontaneous  and  unequalled  eulogy. 
It  had  been  WEBER'S  good  luck  to  discover  a  scale  and  a  method  of  construction 
by  which  the  tone — which,  up  to  his  time  had  been  strong,  powerful,  and  large  in 
volume — gained  that  delicacy,  softness,  and  especially  that  sympathetic  quality  which 
it  had  previously  lacked. 

This  discovery,  backed  as  it  was  by  tremendous  enterprise  and  incomparable 
energy,  made  WEBER'S  individual  fortune. 

When  WEBER  started  in  business,  40  years  ago,  he  thought  it  a  big  thing  to 
make  one  square  piano  a  week.  At  the  time  he  died,  in  1879,  he  turned  out  50 
pianos  a  week,  principally  concert  grands  and  uprights,  employed  nearly  a  thousand 
men,  owned  two  of  the  largest  piano  factories  in  the  city,  on  iyth  Street  and 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  59 

yth   Avenue,    magnificent   warerooms   on     5th    Avenue,    and    had    agencies   in    every 
city  of  any  importance  all  over  the  country. 

After  his  death  he  was  succeeded  in  the  business  by  his  son,  ALBERT,  who, 
though  barely  out  of  his  teens  at  the  time,  at  once  showed  himself  to  be  possessed 
of  wonderful  business  capacity,  tact  and  skill. 

Young  WEBER  brought  the  business  to  even  a  greater  state  of  prosperity,  so 
that  the  firm  turn  out  to-day  60  pianos  a  week  on  an  average. 

A  few  years  ago  a  Branch  House  was  opened  in  Chicago  where  the  firm  built 
a  Music  Hall,  known  as  WEBER  HALL,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country. 

The  year  1876  will  be  forever  memorable  for  the  great  International  Exhibi- 
tion, held  in  Philadelphia.  This  Exhibition  had  a  peculiar  value  and  importance 
to  all  those  concerned  in  those  industries  in  which  Americans  had  taken  the  lead 
during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  It  was  the  first  time  when  juries,  composed 
of  the  experts  of  the  world,  were  called  upon  to  decide  not  merely  as  to  the 
relative  merits  of  the  different  American  manufactures,  but  as  to  the  merits  of 
the  different  claims  of  the  various  manufacturers  to  those  inventions  and  improved 
methods  of  manufacture  by  which  each  particular  American  industry  had  reached 
its  present  condition  of  high  development. 

This  was  particularly  true  of  the  pianoforte  business. 

The  Judges  had  not  merely  to  determine  the  relative  merits  of  the  various 
makers  of  pianos  ;  they  had  to  do  more.  They  had  to  settle  which  of  the 
makers  was  entitled  to  the  proud  distinction  of  having  brought  the  American 
pianoforte  to  its  present  state  of  perfection,  which  has  enabled  it  to  take  the  lead 
among  the  Musical  Instruments  of  the  world. 

After  a  prolonged,  bitter  and  severe  contest,  in  which  all  the  leading  manu- 
facturers engaged,  the  Centennial  Judges  Awarded  the  Highest  Honors  to  the  Weber  Pianos. 

This   put   the  climax  to  Weber's   success,  and   from   that   time   forth   his   position    . 
as  the   Head   of  the   American    Pianoforte    Industry   was    scarcely  even   challenged. 
So  much  for  the  business  career  of  this  "Veteran  Fireman." 

Old  ALBERT  WEBER'S  personality  as  well  as  his  social  qualities  were  remarkable. 
He  started  as  a  workman  in  his  shirt-sleeves  and  ended  as  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  prominent  men  in  New  York,  and  as  one  of  the  most  honored  and  popular 
members  of  the  Lotos,  Arcadian,  and  Manhattan  Clubs. 

He  was  equally  at  home  in  all  positions,  and  even  in  the  days  of  his  greatest 
prosperity  never  forgot  that  he  had  once  been  a  "  Fireman,"  nor  did  he  ever  for- 


60  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

get  his  old  comrades  of  Hose  No.  38.  This  personality  of  WEBER'S  was  so  strong 
that  when  once  started  he  went  right  to  the  front  and  staid  there. 

His  struggles  and  trials,  his  memorable  controversies  with  his  competitors,  his 
aggressiveness,  his  wit,  humor,  vitality,  and  absolutely  indomitable  pluck  and  spirit 
are  all  matters  of  New  York  history.  When  WEBER  found  that  he  had  an  instru- 
ment which  people  liked,  he  set  to  work  to  place  it  before  the  public.  In  this  no 
man  ever  succeeded  as  he  did.  He  made  friends  right  and  left.  He  even  forced 
his  enemies  to  say  a  kind  word  for  him.  He  strove,  pushed  and  advertised  with  a 
persistence  and  energy  that  startled  and  appalled  his  competitors.  He  rested  neither 
by  day  nor  by  night.  He  was  everywhere  and  knew  everybody.  He  was  a 
familiar  feature  at  all  "first  nights"  at  the  opera,  at  concerts,  entertainments  and 
meetings.  He  seemed  ubiquitous.  How  he  ever  did  it  all  remains  a.  wonder  to 
this  day. 

He  was  a  master  of  the  art  of  knowing  how  to  handle  the  Press,  had  an  un- 
erring instinct  for  journalists  of  brains,  and  liberally  rewarded  the  slightest  favor. 
The  newspaper  men  looked  upon  him  as  a  friend  and  treated  him  as  such.  They 
would  do  and  did  do  more  for  ALBERT  WEBER,  with  often  no  greater  reward  than  a 
cigar  or  a  kind  word,  than  they  would  have  done  for  many  other  houses  for  much 
money;  for  the  newspaper  men  became  interested  in  the  little,  dark,  nervous  man, 
with  the  twinkling  black  eyes,  who  treated  them  always  so  royally. 

With  artists  and  musicians  he  was  an  especial  favorite,  and  the  greatest  of 
them  were  proud  of  his  friendship.  He  was  an  admirable  entertainer,  always  had 
a  fund  of  good  stories,  and  was  the  very  life  of  any  party  in  which  he  might  find 
himself. 

He  was  a  marvelous  talker,  and  he  talked  with  his  eyes  and  his  feet  and  his 
arms  and  his  legs  and  his  body  as  well  as  his  tongue. 

He  gave  himself  out  as  a  cynic,  but  was  really  one  of  the  best-hearted  men 
that  ever  lived. 

He  was  one  of  New  York's  great  men,  was  accepted  and  recognized  as  such, 
and  when  he  died,  New  York,  the  piano  trade  and  the  whole  musical  world,  felt 
that  something  had  gone  never  to  be  replaced,  and  he*  was  mourned  for  by  many 
who  had  known,  loved  and  admired  him,  but  by  none  more  sincerely  than  by 
his  old  comrades  of  Hose  No.  38. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO. 


6r 


THE    POPULAR    LECTURE   AND    MUSICAL    MANAGER — A 
MAN  WHO  KNOWS  NEARLY  ALL  THE  DISTIN- 
GUISHED PERSONAGES  WHO  SPEAK  THE 

ENGLISH    LANGUAGE. 

m  AJOR  J.  B.  POND,  the  well  known  manager 
fe  of  lecture  and  musical  attractions,  has  had 
a  varied  and  interesting  career.  He  began  life  as 
a  Printer's  Devil  in  Fond-du-Lac,  Wis.,  in  1854. 
In  1856  he  went  to  Kansas  and  carried  a  Sharp's 
rifle  (Beecher  Bible)  under  John  Brown.  In  1857 
he  returned  to  Madison,  Wis.,  and  worked  as  a 
'•jour."  printer,  and  afterwards  published  a  weekly 
paper  in  the  northern  part  of  the  same  State.  Life  did  not  go  easy  with  him, 
but  he  met  its  vicissitudes  with  courage,  good  nature  and  tact,  and  realized  all 
the  advantages  that  it  could  produce  in  the  limited  field  of  his  labors  and  duties. 
His  military  title  is  a  genuine  and  not  a  bogus  one.  He  gained  it  in  the  Third 
Wisconsin  Cavalry,  of  which  the  late  Ex-Governor  William  A.  Barstow  was  Colonel 
and  E.  A.  Calkins,  now  of  Chicago,  was  Lieutenant-Colonel.  He  served  with  his 
regiment  in  the  South-west  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  most  stirring  campaigns 
that  occurred  throughout  that  entire  region.  He  was  an  excellent  commanding 
officer,  brave,  full  of  resources,  always  ready  for  camp  duty  or  for  a  fight,  and 
was  good  to  his  men.  He  continued  with  a  detachment  of  that  regiment  in  ser- 
vice on  the  frontier  till  long  after  the  last  gun  had  been  fired  at  the  East,  and 
was  not  mustered  out  until  the  Fall  of  1865.  He  was  formerly  a  Volunteer 
Fireman,  in  Water  Witch  Engine  Co.  No.  2,  at  Janesville,  Wisconsin. 

After  the  war  Major  Pond  drifted  to  the  far  West,  and  engaged  there  and  in 
other  parts  of  the  country  in  various  business  enterprises.  But  he  did  not  find 
the  work  he  was  fitted  for  until  he  formed  a  connection  with  Redpath's  Lecture 
Bureau,  in  Boston,  of  which  he  afterwards  became  proprietor.  He  subsequently 
disposed  of  that  institution  and  became  agent,  manager  and  proprietor  of  the  most 
popular  and  successful  lecture  and  musical  enterprises  in  the  country.  His  especial 
pet  and  favorite  was  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  with  whom  he  was  upon  terms  of  the 
most  intimate  friendship,  and  whose  praises  he  never  wearies  in  reciting.  Mr. 


*2  THE    VETERANS    TRIP 

Beecher  delivered  1,200  lectures  under  his  auspices  and  they  have  traveled  together 
400,000  miles,  never  missing  a  train  or  an  appointment.  He  had  paid  Mr.  Beecher 
over  $250,000  in  money  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Clara  Louise  Kellogg's 
•engagements  were  made  by  him  during  her  most  prosperous  years.  George  W. 
Cable  and  Mark  Twain  lecture  under  his  management,  and  he  regards  Mr.  Cable 
as  the  first  literary  genius  of  the  age.  He  took  Talmage  to  England  in  1879. 
This  year  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Parker,  of  City  Temple,  London,  Mr.  Charles 
Dickens,  son  of  the  great  novelist.  Max  O'Rell,  author  of  "John  Bull  and  His 
Islands,"  and  Mr.  Archibald  Forbes  come  to  this  country  under  his  auspices.  He 
lias  tried  repeatedly  to  get  Gladstone  over  here,  not  on  a  lecture  tour  exactly, 
"but  for  something  in  that  way,  and  would  have  succeeded  had  the  g.  o.  m.  been 
a  dozen  years  younger.  Wendell  Phillips,  John  B.  Gough  and  Ralph  Waldo  Emer- 
son were  under  his  management  for  many  years  previous  to  the  close  of  their 
"brilliant  and  useful  lives.  Major  Pond  probably  knows  more  public  and  distin- 
guished men,  and  is  upon  more  intimate  terms  with  them,  than  any  other  man 
living. 

The  beauty  of  Major  Pond's  character  is  that  he  has  kept  the  simplicity  of 
"his  manners  and  the  youthful  freshness  of  his  heart  through  all  this  varied  ex- 
perience, in  prosperity  and  adversity,  when  fortune  smiled  or  misfortune  frowned, 
;at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances.  He  has  handled  millions  of  money, 
has  lived  liberally  and  well,  and  is  the  friend  of  every  man  whom  he  ever 
knew.  A  printer  with  whom  he  was  acquainted  as  a  boy  up  in  Wisconsin,  thirty 
years  ago,  or  a  cavalry  veteran  who  served  under  him  in  the  war,  is  as  welcome 
in  his  room  at  the  Everett  House  in  New  York,  as  the 
Mayor  of  Chicago,  or  its  most  distinguished  scholar  or 
richest  capitalist  would  be.  He  is  46  years  old,  is  hale  and 
robust,  and  has  many  years  of  active  life  still  before  him. 


flENRY  S.  BILLINGS  was  born  at  Waterford,  Maine,  June 
1  loth,  1833  ;  entered  service  of  Erie  and  Atlantic  Sleeping 
Coach  Co.,  April  5th,  1865,  as  conductor;  promoted  to 
Assistant  Superintendent  January  ist,  1867,  to  Superintendent 
July  I9th,  1871  ;  above  company  merged  into  P.  P.  C.  Co. 
June  ist,  1872  ;  continues  in  the  service  of  Pullman's  Pal- 
HENRY  s.  BILLINGS.  ace  Car  Co.  as  Division  Superintendent  to  date. 


TO    SAN  FRANCISCO.  63 


DESCRIPTIVE  PROGRAMME  OF  RECEPTION  AND  SRAND 

UNDER   THE   AUSPICES   OF   THE 

VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK, 

By  Gappa's  Seventh  Regiment  Band,  N.  G.  S.  N.  Y. 

And    the    Young    and    Talented    Soprano,   MISS   HORTENSE   PIERSE,     on     their    Transcontinental    Excursion, 

September,    1887, 

Stopping  at  CHICAGO,  OMAHA,  SALT  LAKE   CITY,   SACRAMENTO,  SAN    FRANCISCO,  DENVER,  KANSAS  CITY,  LOUISVILLE, 

CINCINNATI   AND   CLEVELAND. 


leaders 


OVERTURE-  William   Tell,  .  .......  Jlossini 

CAPPA'S   SEVENTH   REGIMENT   BAND. 

No  Overture  has  ever  been  rendered  by  a  Military  Band  that  has  received  greater  favor.  It  is  considered  bv 
ears  as  one  of  the  most  effective  productions  of  its  class,  and  is  an  ever  welcome  feature,  on  the  programme  o'f 
a  Musical  Festival,  and  never  fails  to  make  a  deep  impression.  Mr.  Cappa  had  the  opportunity  of  being  present 
in  Asti,  Italy,  and  witnessing  its  production  under  the  conductorship  of  the  composer,  and  while  this  rendition  mav 
appear  to  the  listener  different  from  the  former  versions,  it  is  a  faithful  interpretation  of  the  work. 

2.  CORNET   SOLO  -Air   Varie,  .  .  .  .  .  .  Rogers 

MR.    WALTER   ROGERS. 

There  has  been  no  greater  progress  in  the  musical  world  the  past  twenty  years  than  that  of  surmounting  the 
difficulties  of  the  favorite  of  instruments,  the  Cornet,  and  no  one  has  more  fully  proved  to  be  its  master  than  the 
young  American,  Mr.  Rogers.  Brief  as  his  career  has  been,  he  is  already  '  recognized  as  one  of  the  greatest 
Cornet  Soloists. 

3.  GRAND   SELECTION—  Lucia   di   Lammermoor,  .  -  .  .  .  Donizetti 
Containing  all   the   gems  of  Donizetti's  Masterpiece  and   concluding  with  the  famous   Sextette. 

CAPPA'S   SEVENTH   REGIMENT   BAND. 

4.  VALSE  DE  JULIET,  .........       Gounod-Ra/ 

MR.   ADOLPH   CLOSE. 

Mr.  Close  is  foremost  among  the  popular  Pianists  of  the  day.  He  has  been  Solo  Pianist  with  Miss  Clara  Kellogg 
three  seasons.  Wherever  he  has  appeared  there  has  been  but  one  expression,  and  that  "  the  surprise  of  the  evening.'1 

5.  INFLAMMATUS-Stabat   Mater,  .  .  .  .  .  .  Rossini 

MISS   HORTENSE   PIERSE  AND   SEVENTH   REGIMENT   BAND. 

Miss  Pierse  is  what  is  known  in  musical  parlance  as  a  Dramatic  Siprano,  the  school  of  Parepa  Rosa,  Materna 
and  Nilsson.  She  has  a  full,  sonorous  and  rich  voice  of  strong  individuality,  reaching  through  three  octaves,  every 
note  of  which  is  perfect  and  available.  These  gifts,  combined  with  queenly  stateliness  and  beauty  of  face,  make 
her  a  phenomenal  artist,  and  capable  of  rendering  the  Inflamrnatus  to  absolute  perfection. 

6.  HUNGARIAN   RHAPSODIE—  No.   2  ........  Liszt 

Foremost  in  its  difficulties  for  a  Military  Band  stands  the  above  Rhapsodic,  the  test  piece  for  all  the  greatest 
Pianists..  The  marvelous  performer  Joseffy  expressed  his  utter  astonishment  at  hearing  it  pfayed  at  a  Band  Concert. 
The  classical  ear  finds  in  this  wonderful  "music-production  a  rich  feast,  while  the  public  generally  can  see  and  hear 
that  there  is  something  extraordinary  going  on  when  the  band  have  once  got  fairly  into  it.  It  is  a  masterpiece, 
.and  its  performance  by  Cappa's  Band  has  won  the  highest  encomiums  ever  paid  a  similar  organization. 


64  THE    VETERANS    TRIP. 

7.  PATROL -General   Boulanger's   En   revenant   de   la   Revue,  .  .  G.    Wiegand 

SYNOPSIS— Represents  the  Band  of  the  Brigade  Coming  in  Distance.— The  Gradual  Approach.— The  Passing  by 
the  General  Boulanger. — And  the  Gradual  Passing  Away  in  the  Distance. — Introducing  La  Marsaillaise. 

This  is  the  new  popular  Fi-ench  national  air,  which  was  recently  published  in  the  New  York  Herald  and 
which  was  produced  for  the  first  time  in  America  by  Cappa's  Band. 

8.  ARIA,    Scene  and    Duet   Finale— Trovatore,         .  .  .  .  .  .  Verdi 

FOR  CORNET  AND  TROMBONE. 
MR.   W.   GRIFFIN.  MR.   W.   LACROIX. 

No  Opera  has  been  composed  that  for  melody,  tunefulness  and  rapturous  harmony  can  be  compared  with 
the  classical  and  popular  musical  creation  of  "II  Trovatore."  It  is  given  under  the  most  elaborate  auspices  from 
Orchestra  and  Chorus,  the  scenic  representations  down  to  the  whistling  street  boy  and  hand  organ,  being  unsur- 
passed and  possessing  a  charm  that  exceeds  that  of  any  other  Opera.  One  of  the  latest  and  most  telling  effects  is 
this  Duet  produced  by  the  Cornet  and  Trombone,  accompanied  by  the  full  Military  Band,  the  "  Miserere  "  played 
by  the  supplementary  band  in  the  distance. 

9.  THE  NIGHTINGALE, Delibes 

MISS   HORTENSE  PIERSE. 

Of  this  young  artist  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  savs :  "  In  the  programme  of  the  Amphion  Society,  the  third  number 
was  a  solo  by  Miss  Hortense  Pierse,  a  tall  and  striking  blonde,  who  sang  'Trie  Nightingale/  by  Delibes,  which 
was  loudly  applauded.  Her  rich  voice  gives  evidence"  of  careful  training,  and  her  rendering  of  the  song  was 
pleasing  and  graceful.  Her  second  number  was  encored  and  repeated.  Afterwards  Miss  Pierse  gave  two  short 
songs,  'Once  Again,'  by  Lassen,  and  'Swedish  Air,'  by  Peruzzi,  in  an  artistic  manner." 

10.  PIANO   SOLO— Pasquinade, Gottschalk 

MR.   ADOLF  CLOSE. 

"Mr.  Close  in  a  Pasquinade  exhibited  a  marvelous  command  over  the  Piano.  One  could  imagine  almost  that 
he  made  the  instrument  speak.  His  touch  is  exquisite,  and  his  runs  are  remarkable  for  their  smoothness  and 
brilliancy."— AT.  Y.  Tribune. 

11.  REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  VETERAN   FIREMEN,  ....  Cappa 

DEDICATED  TO  MR.   GEORGE  W.   ANDERSON,   PRESIDENT  OF  THE  VETERAN 
FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Introducing  conversation  of  the  Firemen  in  the  Engine  House ;  Fire  Alarm  ;  The  Start ;  Running  to  the  Fire  ; 
The  Falling  of  the  Wall  and  Grand  Finale.  Mr.  Anderson  used  to  run  with  Phrenix  Hose  No.  22,  of  which 
he  was  foreman  for  many  years.  He  was  a  gallant  fireman,  and  after  the  decline  of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Depart- 
ment of  New  York,  he  kept  on  growing  in  usefulness,  until  he  is  now  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  citizens  uf 
the  metropolis,  and  althouglj  having  amassed  a  fortune  and  able  to  retire  and  live  in  luxury,  he  remains  "  one  of 
the  boys,"  and  is  not  the  last  to  render  material  aid  to  almost  every  deserving  charity,  especially  where  a 
Volunteer  Fireman  or  his  family  is  the  object. 

12.  GRAND   FANTASIE— Introducing   melodies   from    England,   Scotland  and  Ireland,  Baetens 

Although  Mr.  Cappa  is  a  son  of  Italy,  he  is  gifted  with  a  touch  of  nature  that  finds  its  way  to  all  hearts. 
He  realizes  that  America's  great  cosmopolitans  will  never  lose  their  fondness  for  the  familiar  melodies  of  tin  ir 
native  land.  Wherever  his  famous  organization  appears,  the  audiences  frequently  interrupt  this  performance  with 
rounds  of  applause  and  deafening  cheers. 


Tl 


E  sincere  thanks  of  the  compiler  of  this  small  book  are  herewith  tendered  to  Messrs. 

Harper  Bros,  for  the  use  of  plates  from  Sheldon's  ' '  Story  of  Volunteer  Fire 
Department"  to  Mr.  James  F.  Wenman  for  the  article  on  the  Veteran  Firemen's  Association, 
and  to  Mr.  fames  Cameron,  Secretary  of  the  Firemen's  Ball  Committee,  for  the  brief 
history  of  said  Committee. 


ACCIDEN 


.Over  ZQQ  ~*r~S%Pl 

•/^erpberf-o^^e- 1 

feERWfiRE/AENfj 
^VAgPCIATIoN 
ant-n/erpberj-of  • 

&fs-<s*ry?- 


ifity  in-(ase-9f-  Injury-  by-Accent- 

$5,000.  in  tke  event  of  DEATH 

5,000 lS5S-of -UMBS. 

2500 1955-of-U/AB. 

2.500.  ..  . .    fermanent-l9ss-of 

sight-of  -both- eyes. 

USo. -  TOTAL  DISABILITY- 

650.    , 1255-of •sifihbopone-eye- 

in  event- of  Totally-Dibbling- Injury 

-<=«ZI2ZZZO— °Z~~~J  J 

Including-  Ont-5ebof-l  hD  I  VIJ)UAL- REGISTRY-  PLATE)- 


^nibfrjhip.^-"^0""  "  'ANNUAL 

°  -  fFe  $^ °-°  //•    ^  QUARTERLY  PAYnENTj.  -$2.50. .—  $10,00 

'   ^U,  .  oX/  KKIKJIIAI       £)U£5 J.QQ 


WEBER 


GRAND,  SQUARE  and  UPRIGHT 

PIANOS 


Are  constructed  from  the  musician's  stand-point  as  well  as  that  of  the  mechanic; 
hence  these  instruments  are  distinguished  from  all  others  by  that  pure  and  sym- 
pathetic quality  of  tone  that  contains  the  greatest  musical  possibilities — that 
consummation  of  mechanical  excellence  that  admits  of 

THE  MOST  DELICATE  AND  IMPRESSIVE  EFFECTS, 

while  insuring  the  durability  of  the  instrument,  and  that  uniform  superiority 
that  enhances  the  pleasure  of  both  performer  and  listener.  Constructed  from 
the  very  best  materials,  and  employing  only  the  most  skillful  workmanship, 
these  instruments  combine  the  highest  achievements  in  the  art  of  piano-making, 
and  are  comprehensively  the  best  now  manufactured. 


\VAREROOMS: 


FIFTH  MENUE  &  WEST  SIXTEENTH  ST.,  N.  Y, 

66 


o  o  INT  T  A.I  :sr  i  :xr  G- 


Paillard's  Patent  Non-Magnetic  Compensation  Balance  and  Hair  Spring, 

IDJUSTED    fo    TEMPERATURE. 
—  WILL  *  NOT  *  RUST  *  OR  *  CORRODE  ^ 


67 


Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York, 

RICHARD    A.    McCURDY,    PRESIDENT, 

IS   NOT   only    the    largest    Life    Insurance    Company    in    the    world,    but     has     always     been     the 
pioneer   in   all    matters    tending    to    the    popularizing    and    spreading    of    life    insurance    and    its 
benefits. 

Its   new   Distribution   Policies   are    most   liberal   in   their   terms   to   policy-holders,    and  are    prac- 
tically  unencumbered   with   restrictions   as   to   occupation,  residence,    and   travel. 
Policies   are   payable   upon   presentation  of   satisfactory   proofs   of  death. 

The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company's  policy  says  to  the  insured,  in  plain  and  simple  terms  : 
"Pay  your  premiums,  and  the  person  designated  by  you  will  receive  the  amount  named  in  this 
policy  at  your  death."  This  promise  is  guaranteed  by  gross  assets  of 

->>.    $114,181,963    ^ 

which  are  nearly  $14,000,000  in  excess  of  the  sum  required  under  the  provisions  of  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  New  York  to  meet  its  liabilities. 

The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  is  a  purely  mutual  company.  There  are  no  stock- 
holders to  absorb  profits.  Every  dollar  of  profits  is  divided  among  policy-holders,  each  of  whom 
is  a  partner  with  equal  proportionate  rights  in  over  $114,000,000. 

Profits   distributed  among   members   in  the   last   ten   years  : — $32,099,475. 

Total   payments   to    policy-holders  during  the   same   period,    over    $243,000,000. 

The   following  examples   of 

"Wonderful    Results  •£»-*- 


of   insurance   in   the   Mutual    Life    Insurance    Company   are   given   for    the    careful   consideration    of 
intending   insurers — 

The  late  Ezra  Wheeler,  a  prominent  merchant  of  New  York  City,  became  insured  in  the 
Mutual  Life  in  May,  1853.  For  over  thirty  years  he  paid  his  annual  premium  in  full,  and  his 
dividends  were  credited  to  the  policy  in  the  form  of  additions,  according  to  the  following 
statement — 

Policy   No.    11,798. 

Amount,   $5,000.                                                                                              Annual   premium,   $183  05. 
Five-  Year  Period  ending  Additions. 

1858 . .   $     61616 


Post   Mortem   Dividend   109  oo 


Total  Additions   $7,839  oo 


Face   of  Policy 5,000  oo 


Total    Claim   Paid..., $12,839 


Paid   by   the   Company   in   excess   of   Premiums    received $6,798  35 

this 
5- 

68 


Since    1875    the    annual    cash    dividend  on    this  policy  was    uniformly   larger    than    the   annual 
premium,    thus    making   the  policy   self-sustaining. 


THE  FOUR  LABGEST,  FINEST,  MOST  NOVEL 
AND  BEST-MANAGED  DISPLAYS  OF 

-WORKS 

Ever  produced,  were  those  at 

1.  The    Centennial    at   Newburg,   N.   Y. 

October  IK,  18*8. 

2.  The     Presidential      Inauguration     at 

Washington,  D.  C. 

March  4,  1885. 

The  Bi-Centennial  at  Albany,  N.  Y. 

July  •-".:    1886. 

The  Unveiling  of  the  Bartholdi 
Statue  of  Liberty  at  the  City  of 
New  York. 

November  1,  1886. 

And  were  manufactured  and  fired  by 

(COMPANY, 

The  largest  manufacturers.  Only  importers  and  leading  house  in  the  trade. 

WESTERN  HOUSE.  5 l9_Locust  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  g    _     ^ 


THE  UNEXCELLED  RREWDRKIE 


UNEXCELLED 


SEND  FOR  ILLUSTRATES  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


UNIFORMS 


Contractors  for  the  Uniforms  of  tie 

VETERAN  FIREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION 

Of  the  City  of  New  York. 


UNIFORMS    OF   EVERY   DESCRIPTION. 
ESTIMATES  FURNISHED  UPON  APPLICATION. 

BROWNING,  KING  &  CO.,  NEW  YORK. 

Henry  W.  King  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

Browning,  King  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

Browning,  King  &  Co.,  St.  Louis. 

Browning,  King  &  Co.,  Cincinnati. 

Browning,  King  &  Co.,  Milwaukee. 

Browning,  King  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
Browning,  King  &  Co.,  Kansas  City. 


GEO.  MATHER'S  SONS, 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 

BLACK    AND    COLORED 

PRINTING  t  INKS, 

No.   60  JOHN  STREET, 

NEW     YORK. 


The  Following  Publications  are  Printed  with 

MATHER'S  INKS: 


Appleton's  Art  Journal, 
Picturesque  America, 
Picturesque  Europe, 
Picturesque  Palestine, 
Ancient  Mariner, 
Pastoral  Days,      . 
Picturesque  Canada, 
The  Model  Printer,      . 

The  Christian  Weekly,  and 
books  and 


D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

.      D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Harper  Brothers. 

Harper  Brothers. 

Art  Publishing  Co. 

Wm.  J.  Kelly. 

many  other  Illustrated 

papers. 


Largest  Manufacturers  of  LITHOGRAPHIC  INKS  AND  VARNISHES 
In  tne  United  States. 


JAMES    MCCREERY   &   CO., 

IMPORTERS  AND  DEALERS  IN 

FOREIGH  AND  DOMESTIC 


ESTABLISHED  1827. 


BROOTAT,  Cor.  ELEVENTH  STREET, 


Mail  Orders  will  receive  prompt  attention. 


EDWHRD  SMITH  &  CO., 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 

VARNISHES 


COACH  COLORS, 

WILLISM  STREET, 

NEW  YORK. 
GEORGE  A.  KNOTT,  SALESMAN, 

Peterson  Kngine,  No.  81. 


1784.  BARBOUR'S  1887. 

Irish 

USED  BY  LADIES  EVERYWHERE  IN 

EMBROIDERY,  KNITTING  AND  CROCHET  WORK, 

ALSO  FOR 

Sluuy,  Antique,  Russian,  lacrame,  ai?d  other  Laces.   j 

Sold  by  all  respectable  dealers  throughout  the  country,  on 
Spools  and  In  Balls. 

_^>  LINEN  FLOSS  IN  SKEINS  OR  BALLS  s*~ 

Ladles  fond  ol  Crochet  Work  may  make  a  beautiful  Lace  for 
Curtains  or  other  Trimming  from 

BARBOUR'S  No.  10  SHOE  THREAD. 
FOR  SALE  BY  ALL  DEALERS. 

THE  BARBOUR   BROTHERS  COMPANY, 


NEW  YORK,  BOSTON,  PHILADELPHIA, 
CHICAGO,    ST.     LOUIS,    SAN     FRANCISCO. 


DEMOT  &  CARROLL, 


UNION  SQUARE,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


4|  OF  4  THE  *  UNITED*  STATES  N- 


70 


ESTABLISHED     rSid. 

ARNETT   G.  SMITH, 


(Late  Samuel  G.  Smith) 


of 


WINES,  it,,  Ic 


AND  DIRECT  RECEIVER  OF 

OLD  BOURBON  AND  RYE  WHISKIES, 
No.    14     RULTON     STREET,    N. 


FIREMEN'S  UNIFORMS   CUT  TO  MEASURE. 


s,  Caps,  Huts.  Belts,  Gloves,  Tics,  etc.,  also 


A.  W.  MITCHELL,  757  Broadway,  N.  Y. 

Branch— 200  Washington  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 
25  years  experience  and  endorsed  5y  leading 

T.  F.  SCULLEY, 

of  Veteran  Firemen's  Association,  N.  Y. 
Manager. 


ESTABLISHED    1859 


Antorson  &  Jones, 

MANUFACTURERS  OP 

FIREMEN'S  SUPPLIES  AND 

EQUIPMENT  FACTORY,  FIRE 

HATS,  SHI  RTS,~  BELTS, 

FATIGUE  CAPS,  &c. 

184  GRAND  ST., 

NEW  YORK. 

Anderson's  Patent  Duty  Fire  Hat?. 


MARTIN   B.    BROWN, 

PRINTER,  STATIONER 

AND  BLANK  BOOK  MANUFACTURER, 
49    &    51    PARK    PLACE,    N.    Y. 

RAILROAD  DEPARTMENT,  206  &  208  Fulton  St. 
ENGRAVING    AND    LITHOGRAPHING. 


D.   H.   ANDERSON, 


785  BROADWAY,  N.  Y. 

The  composition  pictures  of  Veteran  Firemen  and  the  7th 
Regiment -the  largest  photographs  ever  made— on  Free  Ex- 
hibition. 

COPIKS  22  x  34  FOR  WAI,K,  $10.00. 

Pictures  of  any  kind  can  be  forwarded  by  mail  or  express 
and  life-like  copies  made  and  finished  in  India  Ink,  Crayon, 
Pastel,  etc.,  etc. 


_^£  Antbropological  Musuem  and  Sallery  of  Illustrations  a^-. 

708  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 

Open  Daily  (for  Gentlemen  only)  from  9  a.  m.,  till  10  p.  m. 


s,  25  CENTS. 


Each   visitor  is   presented  with   a  copy   of  "  MAN'S 

MISSION  ON  EARTH." 
Those  unable  to  visit  this  great  institution  can  have  a  pocket  edition 


•  ii»ii»ii»ii»iiaiiaiiaiiaiianaiiaiiaiiaiip.i»MBii«iiBii»iiBii»iipii»ii»iiBiiBiiBii»ii»iiaii»ii« 

Piper  Heidsieck  "§ec." 


I,.,,,:,.,,,:-.'..     .     .     . 


LONG  FAMOUS. 

STILL  UNRIVALLED. 

INTENSELY  DRY. 

STOOD  THE  TEST  FOR  60  YEMS! 

FOR  SALE    THROUGHOUT    THE    CIVILIZED 
WORLD. 


JOHN    MEEHAN, 


MANUFACTURER   OF    FINE 


BREWSTER&CO., 


BOOT  AND  SHOE  UPPERS, 


(OF  BROOME  STREET) 


DEALER   IN 


BROADWAY—  47™  TO  48™  ST., 


OF  BUS™**.. 


LESTMER  fiND  FINDINGS, 

B.«.w^9aa!iaRANKFORT  "TO™.,  j  Carriages  aijd  ^oad  magoijs. 

SEND  FOR  SHOW  CARD  AND  PRICE-LIST.  THE  LEADING  HOUSE  IN  AMERICA. 


COMMITTEE 


VETERAN  i  FIREMEN'S  t  RssocmrioN 

—<i-OF    THE    CITY    OF    NEW    YORK-i" 
HEADQUARTERS:    C3    EAST   TENTH    ST 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

*UG  25  Mi 

19& 

NOV141952 


i 

HK^ 


I  TK 

9505  Veteran  fire- 
N5u77s men's  assoc., 
N.Y.  - 


continental  excursion.. 


001  245  851 


